The Truth of Hearts
by Fallen Sky Singer
Summary: COMPLETE: When a young orphan girl kidnapped by the enemy is released with bad injuries into the 4077's care, Hawkeye becomes emotionally attached to this broken soul.
1. A hard days night

Disclaimer thingamabob- I unfortunately do not own any of the characters from MASH even if I wished I did, except the girl whom gets introduced in the third odd chapter or something like that. I made her, I designed her, and I gave her a name. Please don't steal her.

Note~ This is my first Fan fic, please R&R for me. The chapters are really short, but there are going to be lots and lots of them. You'll also find that some of the chapters (quite later on) seem to take the same story line as some of the earlier episodes. I meant to do that, trust me.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Radar's voice came over the loud speaker, "Attention, all personnel, incoming casualties. Report to the OR at once." The days past slowly, fourteen hour shifts at the OR caused everyone distress, especially the fact that half the patients weren't allies, but enemies. Never the less, Hawkeye, Trapper, Henry Blake and Frank seemed to push on into the dead of night when only the silence aroused and reminded them of the danger that was three miles close. The jokes had stopped, the chasing of girls became less frequent and anything that was done, was done in a tired almost sluggish way. They were all sick of the war. So here they were, in preop. Washing their hands carefully and placing on the long white robes, Hawkeye and trapper had it down to two minutes and thirty six seconds for getting ready, unless they were in the middle of drinking, then they had to add on seven seconds. 

"Fly me to the moon..." Hawkeye sang loudly in the operating room, "let me swing among those stars... alright, this guys ready for stitching up, hot lips, would you do the honour?"

"Firstly," Margaret began irritably as always, "It's Major Houlihan to you, secondly you singing Frank Sinatra is unnerving, and thirdly can we please have some quiet!"

"Yes mother." Hawkeye replied, smiling at her, "Clamp." The nurse handed him the instrument, "This guy must be starting a shrapnel collection, he's got enough in him to set of a metal detector." After the gruelling task of taking out 5 large clumps of shrapnel from his patient, Hawkeye tiredly looked around, the last of the patients were being stitched up, he sighed in deep relief.

"Im going out to sleep, any nurse wishing to join me must before hand make reservations." He muttered loudly.

"How terribly grown up of you." Frank muttered, "Please tells us all the details when it's over."

Hawkeye grinned playfully and walked out of the tent, slouching, trying to stay awake. The swamp seemed hundreds of feet away, and the tired surgeon barley noticed when he reached the door and walked through it.

"I do declare," Trapper said in a southwestern accent as he held up a martini glass full of gin, "You look a right tired, come sit and drink with me."

Hawkeye stared gratefully for only a moment at the glass before swooping down on the side of the cot and sticking a olive in the glass Trapper held out for him.

"Busy night at the office dear?" Trapper asked jokingly.

"We were at a meeting I swear!" Hawkeye responded with is his friend as he sipped the gin, "ah" he sighed in satisfaction, "How sweet it is." After a couple for rounds of gin Trapper forcibly took away Hawkeye's glass, "That's enough." he told his partially drunk friend, "You've got to go on duty in a few hours, get some sleep." Hawkeye only muttered something about women and dancing before his heavy eye lids fell and he drifted off into sleep.  
  


*****


	2. Dummies and bullets

"Hawk? Hawkeye wake up!" Radar shook Hawkeye forcefully, "Come on Hawk! There's an emergency patient!"

"Oh, Just five more minutes mom..." Radar shook him again.

"No! Didn't you hear me? I said emergency!" Hawkeye sat up at the word 'emergency' and rubbed his eyes, "Alright, alright, Im coming. I though we weren't supposed to get any more casualties for a couple days..."

Radar blinked and waited for Hawkeye to get up, when at last he did and they were quickly jogging towards the OR, Radar explained, "Just one sir, a girl. Probably no more than thirteen, she's full of shrapnel, a bit of internal bleeding they say. Colonel Blake said that was you area."

Hawkeye nodded grimly, "Thirteen you say? How the heck did she get over here?"

"Captured by the enemy sir while she was staying at a village as an assistant nurse to her mother, apparently they used her as a hostage and filled her with bullets then dropped her on our lap."

"American?"

"As much as I am."

"Oh so she's Dutch."

Radar laughed sarcastically, "Very funny." He replied grimly, "This is serious." Both entered the OR tent, Hawkeye put on his white robes and began to sterilize his hands. 

"This is where I leave you," Radar said to Hawk, "Good luck, hope you save the girl."

"Thanks shorty."

"Hey!"

"Just go."

After Hawkeye sterilized his hands, he quickly entered the OR, the three other surgeons stood around a small body, snipping away and talking quietly among themselves.

"Ah, here's the great one now." Trapper said as he looked up, "Nurse suction this please."

"Where have you been?" Margaret demanded, "Frank's been a nervous wreck, Frank has told you time and time before to be here as soon as a patient arrives!"   
  


Hawkeye couldn't resist, "It's amazing Frank, you should go into the army circus with that ventriloquist act, I didn't see your lips move once!"

"Yeah and you've got a nice dummy too." Trapper added. Margaret looked appalled and was about to say something when Hawkeye cut in.

"Okay Hot Lips, what's the situation?" Margaret's eyes shot daggers at Hawk before replying.

"At least nine bullets in her body that we can locate, internal bleeding from her liver, she's had a great blood loss and now a fever is picking up." 

"Clamp." Henry ordered the nurse as he tried to stop the blood flow from the liver. Trapper was carefully picking small bits of shrapnel and bullets from the girls arm and insides and placing it into a clear glass which was almost half full already, "Peirce your going to have to get the rest of the bullets out of her, I've got the liver on my hands."

"Literally" Trapper added.

"Klinger, mind giving me a hand?" Hawkeye asked as he picked up a scalpel and began to cut away at skin surrounding a small bullet, Klinger appeared, dressed in his latest creation. A silk red evening gown with a blue stich Japanese boarder.

"Alright Hawk, but if I get anything on this new outfit you're paying for the dry-"

"Yes, yes, dry cleaning, I know, Just hand me the clamp." Hawkeye ordered as he sponged away trying to remove some of the dust and old blood from the wound. Silence caused time to move slowly, no one dared breath as they tried to save a young and innocent life. The bullets filled her chest and arms, still for some reason or another her vital signs kept up, faintly but there never the less. 

  
  


As Hawkeye began to work on removing bullets and pieces of shrapnel from the girls arm he stated plainly, "Looks like this kid had problems before the war."

"What do you mean Pierce?" Henry asked as he finished stitching up the bleeding liver, "Clamp that and get a new bag of ab positive blood on there, she's almost out."

"She got on hell of a scar here, runs from wrist to shoulder...looks like it was a knife."

Trapper moved over to have a look at the scar, "Looks like it was infected during the healing stage, that's what made it so oddly shaped and coloured."

"A living hell, poor kid..."


	3. Notes from home

It took over three hours of four surgeons careful work to remove all the remnants of bullets and shrapnel from the girls body, they went through three bags of blood and nearly lost her twice, still who ever she was, she was a fighter. Hawkeye had overseen the operation and now was resting outside of the Swamp, sipping a glass of gin and just trying to get a little shut eye.

"Mail Hawk!" Radar announced loudly as he threw a package onto Hawkeye's lap, The dark haired man jumped at the break of silence.

"Whoa Radar? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Hawkeye gasped for breath.

"Nope, just trying to hand out mail." Radar muttered as he walked down to the next tent and announced 'mail!' as loudly as he could. Hawkeye shrugged and began to unwrap the parcel's brown paper, when he got through the first layer a letter from his father fell to the ground. Hawkeye picked it up and smiled as he opened it and began to read;

Dear Hawkeye

  
  


How are things in the 4077? Last time you wrote they sounded pretty bleak, like you were getting loaded down with patients, well don't work to hard, the war should be over soon. This letter can't be long, I have to go drop off your sister at the bus depot, she's going to stay with her friend for a few weeks. I believe she knit you another tent you can use.

Lots of love

Dad

  
  


Hawkeye smiled, just like his sister to knit something for him that was about three sizes to large, still it was a warm bright yellow house coat, and would serve well for those long cold nights when he had nothing better to do then play tricks on Frank. 

"Hey!" Trapper exclaimed as he walked up and sat down next to Hawkeye, "You got another tent for us!" Hawkeye smiled, his sisters knitting history was classic.

"How's the patient?"

"Clinging on Hawk, Im pretty worried about her, we still haven't managed to revive her yet." Trapper's eye filled with pain.

"She should have woken up long ago..." Hawkeye muttered to no one in particular.

"Probably just exhausted, she did have over 13 bullets in her." Trapper pointed out.

"She's lucky to be alive." A voice commented, Frank walked up and sat down beside the two other captains, "It's sickening that they would do that to a child."

"That's all very well Frank but what do you suppose the American's at the front line are doing to the Korean children that get in their way?" Trapper demanded, "An old quote said 'An eye for and eye only makes the whole world blind'."

Franks top lip disappeared before he retorted back, "Their commies, everyone of them, they deserve what they get!" He got up and stomped towards Margaret's tent before knocking on the door, waiting then knocking twice once more and disappearing inside of it.

"I wonder if his mothers a worm and his father's a mobster?" Hawkeye asked.

"What makes you say that?"

"He seems to sliver along but still manages to put everyone down."

"He probably just got up on the wrong side of the war this morning." Trapper muttered, "Come on, we should go check on the kid again."


	4. General Hammond

"Continue on her IV and give her 24-7 coverage, we need her to get well we're ever going to find out what happened." Hawkeye told Margaret who nodded in a uneasy way before checking the girl's pulse once more and refilling her IV.

"Hawk....Hawkeye, psst Hawkeye!" Radar's voice came from the corner where his nose and mouth were hidden by a white sheet. "Colonel Blake needs to see you, Trapper and Major Burns right away!"

"Thanks Radar, I'll be there in a minute." Hawkeye placed the girls medical record back onto the bed stand and made his way to Henry Blake's office, as he walked, thoughts passed through his head, some asking the question 'When will this stupid war end?' 'What is my family doing right now?' And 'How much sump, could a sump pump, pump, if a sump pump could pump sump?' The last one had always bothered him. But lately life had gotten more complicated, people were coming and going, the world was spinning around and destroying itself at the same time, and the 4077 had to stitch up the remains.

  
  


In Colonel Blakes office, Trapper and Frank Burns sat waiting for Hawkeye to arrive, Henry was busy tying a fishing fly and really didn't notice the lack of people in the room. Frank was fiddling with his hands, trying to resist saying a statement that he would promptly regret because of Trapper's sarcasm.

"Oh where is he?" Frank complained girlishly, "We can't sit here all day!"

"Keep Hot Lips panties on, he'll be here soon." Trapper mumbled as he flipped through a dirty magazine sitting on Henry's desk, "he was in the post-op, checking on the girl."

"Radar!" Henry called, "Get Haw..." Radar's head popped around the corner.

"Captain Pierce is on his way sir."

"I really wish you would sto..."

"Stop doing it I know sir, sorry sir."Radar once again was one step ahead of Henry. For the next ten minutes no one said anything, Frank continued to fiddle with uncertainty and Trapper grinned happily at the pictures in the dirty magazine, then finally Hawkeye came in.

"Alright! What's up Henry?" He asked as he sat down on a chair next to Trapper. 

"Radar bring me the..." Henry began.

"Here's the letter from the General, sir." Radar entered handing Henry a letter which had already been opened and read.

"Ah, thanks Radar, anyways, I just received this letter from the General. He's on his way up here to talk to the girl, he wants to know what happened to the village she was staying at. He also wants a full report on the operation, and because we were the ones that operated one her, I've assigned Radar to write the report." Henry finished as he began to tie another fishing fly.

"When's the general supposed to arrive Henry?" Trapper asked as he put down the magazine and picked up another one.

"Um in about an hour, will the anaesthetic have worn off by then?" Henry asked Hawkeye.

"I hope so, but there's no guarantee." Hawkeye replied. Silence crept along, no one said a word in fear of saying something someone might regret later on. After about five minutes Radar burst through the door of Henry Blake's office.

"Sir General Hammond is outside," Radar began before the General let himself in , "Inside your office sir."

"General Hammond, It's wonderful to see you again sir!" Henry said as he and the other surgeons saluted.

  
  


"These are Captains Pierce..." Henry began before Hawkeye cut in.

"And these are captains McIntyre"

The General sighed, he had been warned about these two, "At ease gentlemen, now tell me about his patient you received..."


	5. The file of Sara Howard

"...when she came she was unconscious, we brought her into the OR and operated right away." Henry finished explaining everything to the General who was busy taking notes as he went.

"I see and who was the main surgeon during the operation?" The general asked as he looked up.

"That would be me sir." Hawkeye put up his hand.

"I see, and what is your full name?"

"Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce but everyone calls me Hawkeye." The general peered at Hawkeye over his glasses and scribbled down some more words, everyone in the room exchanged worried glances before Hawkeye spoke, "Im sorry, I would make a snide comment but sleep is the top priority on my list at the moment."

Everyone except Frank chuckled, even the General's eyes twinkled with amusement.

After a few more minutes of silence the general stood up, "I'd like to see the girl." he announced, "Would that be alright?" He asked Hawkeye.

"I don't see why not." He replied, "Ferret Face, would you like to Show the General the way?"

Frank looked as if he was about to retort to that before he put on his smug looked, "Right this way sir." As the two men left the office, Trapper, Hawkeye and Henry could here the general asking about Frank's nickname, 'Ferret Face'.

"How was she Pierce?" Henry asked when the general was gone.

Hawkeye sighed and rubbed his tired eyes, "She's holding on, but just barely. She should pull through though, if we're lucky." 

Henry groaned and put his head down on the desk, "Call me when im needed again, Im going to get some shut eye."

"Nighty night Henry, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite." Hawkeye joked as he and Trapper walked out of the office. After they reached the Swamp both men poured their gin and lay down on their cots to try to get some shut eye. Just as they both drifted into sleep Radar's voice came over the intercom.

"Attention all personnel, Tonight's movie will be a double feature, 'The thing' and the 'thing that ate the thing.' They both got one thumb up from the critics so they must be good. Bring your own nurse and popcorn."

"The thing, that should be good," Trapper commented, "What did you think of the last film?"

Hawkeye shrugged, "I don't know, I had my hands full or nurse last time and did look at it."

Trapper looked bewildered, "The movie was over three hours long!" Hawkeye just smiled, "I know." He replied.

  
  


"Attention!" An MP strolled through the door of the Swamp followed by the general and Frank Burns, Trapper and Hawkeye jumped to their feet in a salute, careful not to spill a drop of their precious gin.

"As you were." The general commanded, both men lay back down on their cots and began sipping gin once more. The general stood there rather blankly before Hawkeye stated, "I'm so sorry General, where are my manners? Please sit down, would you like a drink?" The general just shook his head and sat down on Frank's cot.

"I want to take the girl back to the USA soon." He stated plainly, "We've identified her as Sara Howard, both her parents were well known teachers before. Her mother died shortly after she was born and her father passed away just recently at the front. She was working as an assistant nurse to her godmother in a small Korean village, unfortunately that's all we know. Chances are she probably heard something she shouldn't have while being captive by the enemy,   
and that's why they tried to kill her unsuccessfully."

"With all due respect sir," Trapper began, "That kid can't be moved for a long time, right Hawk?" Hawkeye nodded.

"She's in critical condition, if she's moved it could only get worse and then you wont get anything out of her." 

  
  


The general looked sternly at Hawkeye, "Alright but Im stationing an MP here incase she talks, we need to know what happened, Im also sending Sidney Freedman here, if that girl wakes up and isn't traumatized at all, I'll eat my medal of honour."

"We'll keep you too your word general." Hawkeye said smiling, "Here, I'll get you her file. Frank, could you hold this please?" Hawkeye handed Frank his glass of gin before Hawk and Trapper began frantically searching underneath their piles of rubbish and dirty magazines (which in no way were the same thing to them) before Hawkeye went "Ah-ha!" and pulled out a file and handed it to the General.

"Very good Pierce, McIntyre." The general nodded to them and walked out of The Swamp as Trapper and Hawkeye saluted him in a mocking way, Frank brought his hand up to salute only to be splashed in the face by a full glass of gin.


	6. The Pudding was crunchy

Later that night at the mess tent the four surgeons, including Hot lips, Radar, Father Mulcahy and Klinger sat down to eat their supposed 'food' and discussed their patient.

"He can't take her back yet, she's not even awake yet!" Margaret protested as she picked away girlishly at her food.

"I know that!" Hawkeye put in, "But The general's determined to get her back to the US and get whatever information she knows out of her."

"But what if she doesn't know anything?" Radar asked as he popped a piece of cold beef into his mouth and chewed it with a look of disgust on his face.

"Then they risked her life by dragging her back to the USA for nothing i suppose." Trapper told him, "I hate it when they do this."

"Well it's not like we can keep her here for the rest of the war," Frank said angrily, "She's a child, and needs to be home."

"Home to a place where she's abused?" Hawkeye asked as he crunched the mashed potatoes in his mouth, "That scar on her arm wasn't made by a knife that was accidently in someone's hand and accidently ran from her wrist to shoulder."

"Maybe she's suicidal." Klinger suggested as her brushed crumbs from his latest creation, a light blue evening gown with a red feather boa and light pink heeled shoes.

"Well in that case," Henry began with his mouth full of some mysterious meat, "Sidney Freedman can talk to her."

"When is the doctor supposed to arrive?" Father Mulcahy asked as he poked his spork into some unaccountable substance.

"Tomorrow morning sometime, will the girl be awake by then?" Henry asked, Hawkeye only shrugged, "It's hard to tell, hopefully though, We're going to have to move her to make way for more patients when she gets up."

"Where are we going to put her?" Margaret asked, "There's no room left in the post-op, and all the other tents are full." Hawkeye thought quietly about that for a moment before sighing, "We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it." For the next ten minutes everyone was completely silent, only the abnormal sound of crunching food could be heard, this was only abnormal because they were all eating their dessert...pudding.

"Attention all personnel" A voice came over the loud speaker, "Tonight's double movie feature will begin shortly." 

"You going to the movie Hawk?" Trapper asked as he finished his crunchy pudding.

Hawkeye shook his head, Im going to the check on the kid then to the officers club for a strong drink."

"Well that's too bad," Henry said as he stood up, "Tonight's feature is supposed to be great."

"That's what they say." Hawkeye replied smiling, "Still I'd rather not watch 'The Thing' I've seen it already."

"Suit yourself." Henry said as he and Radar walked out of the tent.

"Well," Frank began as he stood up and stretched, "Major Houlihan and I should go and work on that report we were working on earlier, isn't that right major?" Margaret smiled and nodded.

"That's right Frank." Both of them walked out of the mess hall, now only Trapper, Hawkeye, Klinger and Father Mulcahy sat at the table and the quiet was nerve-racking.

"Well...us" Father Mulcahy stood up, "I had better go and...pray, yes that's it." 

"Have fun father." Hawkeye said smiling, after him Klinger stood up and dusted off his dress, "I have to go, Im going to order another dress, I was thinking maybe a satin french creation or maybe..."

"That's alright Klinger, we don't need the details, go and get your dress." Trapper motioned for Klinger to leave.

"And then there were two." Hawkeye muttered as Klinger left, "I'm going to go get a stomach pump, we're going to need it."

"I'll come with you." Trapper said as he stood up, "My stomach feels like it's been flipped inside out and filled with raw liver."

"At least your stomach feels like it's full of something that's an actual part of the human body." Hawkeye muttered.

"Yeah but why is someone's liver in my stomach?"

Both men walked out of the mess hall and towards the post-op building, the entire camp seemed deserted because of the movie's that were showing tonight. The air was crisp and clean, and smelled fresh, Above in the sky, the stars shone brightly and twinkled in the mass of darkness. It was hard to believe that just three miles from the 4077 was the front and people were dying everyday. Yes it was all calm.


	7. The driest martini of them all

"Her pulse is a bit fait but it's still there never the less." Hawkeye stood up and looked at Trapper, "She should pull through."

Trapper sighed, "That's a load off my mind." Both men sat down at the end of the bed and got a good look at the girl, she was pale from blood loss, her hair was a deep chestnut brown and fell in waves around her face creating a frame.

"She looks so peaceful," Hawkeye commented slowly, "It's sad really isn't it?"

"What's sad?" Trapper asked as he checked the girls information on the clipboard.

"That a kid has to go through all this, I mean...she's seen war now, at the front and at home. Someone her age shouldn't have to go through all this."

"No one should have to go through this, no matter what age." Trapper commented as he flipped over to the other side of the clipboard and continued to read, "Especially if she's treated that way at home."

Hawkeye sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily, "I think I need a drink."

"To the bar!" Trapper imitated some sort of old film as he pointed in the direction of the officers club.

"Right you are Trap, I need a martini so dry it will dehydrate me for a week after drinking it." Hawkeye stood up as he said this and made his way outside o the post-op closely followed by Trapper.

"Your search for the perfect martini continues on then does it?" He asked mildly as they walked towards the officers club.

"It never ends." Hawkeye replied, his eyes sparkling with laughter.

As they entered the officers club, both men were shocked to see very few men were actually there, Father Mulcahy was sitting at the piano, trying to play some old tune that was unrecognizable to either Hawkeye or Trapper. And of course Hot Lips Houlihan and The Lipless Wonder sat together holding hands and making sickening comments to each other such as 'Pookie bear' and 'honey suckle'.

"Makes you almost want to laugh hysterically at both of them doesn't it?" Trapper asked as they both sat down on two bar stools.

"Either that or throw up, give me a martini." Hawkeye ordered the Korean man behind the bar, "And make it dry this time, Last time I actually felt liquid enter my system."

"Make that two." Trapper added, "After today I need to get drunk and quick."

  
  


Three martini's each later....

  
  


Hawkeye was using he best pick up lines on a nurse who was quite disgusted by his attitude, never the less listening intently to what the drunken captain was saying, Trapper John on the other hand, was still sitting on the bar stool eating bar nuts and staring blankly into space and beyond.

"So then I said to Frank 'Is that your face or has a rat mulled your nose in your sleep again?'" Hawkeye rambled on to the poor nurse as he hiccuped several times in a row.

"Captain Pierce, you are drunk!" The nurse declared loudly.

Hawkeye smiled and pulled a famous Winston Churchill line, "Yes, and you Madame, are ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober."

Trapper turned around, "I wouldn't count on that Hawk, those were some pretty dry martini's."

Across the room Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan and Frank 'Ferret Face' Burns looked at the two quite non-sober captains in disgust and anger.

"Look at them," Frank muttered, "Drinking themselves silly, then they're just going to go off and make fools of themselves....again."

Margaret's eyes filled with admiration for her lover, "Oh pay no attention to them Frank, their just jealous of us."

Frank grunted, "Trapper makes me sick, cheating on his wife like that, he should be staying true to her!" Margaret gaped and stood up in a huff.

"Ohhh Frank!" Tears streamed down her cheeks and she ran from the officers club.

"B-but Margaret!" Frank spluttered, not knowing what to do.

Hawkeye smiled and walked over to Frank, laughing Hawk clapped the shocked Frank on the shoulder and said, "Nice going Ferret face, you really are a Casanova."

"Oh..." Frank moaned, "You guys! Margaret wait for me!"


	8. I dont want to go home

It was the hangover from hell, a head throb that Hawkeye wouldn't have wished on his worst enemy. His vision was blurred and this insane ringing seem to run through his head.

"Ohhh......my head." Trapper moaned from his cot in the corner of The Swamp.

"Shut up Trapper, your talking to loud." Hawkeye moaned as he blinked away the blurry vision only to be greeted face to face with Radar holding a tray with two cups coffee on it.

"Morning Hawk! Morning trapper!" He said cheerily, though to Hawkeye and Trapper is was more of a yell then a normal talking voice. Both men groaned in agony, "I thought you could use some coffee, after last night you'll probably need it."

"Radar," Hawkeye began as he sat up in a struggle, "There isn't enough coffee in the world to make this hangover disappear, only you talking, breathing and over all walking quieter will help."

"Fair enough." Radar shrugged as Hawkeye picked up his cup of coffee and handed the other cup over to Trapper, "By the way, that kid's awake, she wont talk to anyone though. Maybe you outta go take a look at her."

For a moment Hawkeye and Trapper just stared at each other before jumping to their feet and racing out of The Swamp and towards the post-op. Once the reached the doors the entered mildly as if the situation at hand was nothing and walked idly down the row of patients until both men came to the last bef where Sara Howard lay. Beside her was Colonel Blake, Klinger dressed in a pink fashion, Major Houlihan and Major Burns. When Henry saw Trapper and Hawkeye walk in he quickly excused himself and made his way over to them.

"It's about time you two jokers showed up!" He hissed, "She wont talk to anyone, all I can say is that you had better get her talking because the general's coming down here to take her away."

"Well where's Sidney?" Trapper asked as he sipped his coffee some more, which somehow he had managed to avoid spilling in the race over to the post-op.

"Right here." Doctor Sidney Freedman said behind them, "I've been talking to her but she refuses to say anything."

"Oh of all the war stricken kids, SHE had to come to the 4077..." Hawkeye muttered darkly.

Sidney sighed, "You have to remember she's probably seen great tragedies. Chances are she's greatly traumatized."

"No kidding doc. How long did it take you to make that assessment?" Trapper asked sarcastically. The doctor gave him a stern stare before continuing, "I don't think we're going to get anything out of her, Hawkeye, you can make people laugh, you try!" Hawkeye shrugged and motioned for Trapper to follow him.

"Alright We're taking over here, nothing to see folks." Hawkeye told everyone as they approached Sara's bed, instead of protesting, everyone left quietly, even Frank and Margaret. Hawkeye and Trapper sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at each other and the girl nervously, trying to think of something to say.

"Hey kid," Hawkeye broke the silence, "Im doctor Pierce, I was the head of the surgeons who operated on you."

"I'm not sure that was the best thing to tell her Hawk," Trapper John pointed out, "She looks even more pale now that you've said it." Trapper laughed and Hawkeye gave him a dirty stare, still the girl smiled ever so slightly.

"What's your name?" Hawkeye asked.

No reply.

"Where are you from?" Trapper asked.

Once again there was no response.

"You almost didn't make it kiddo, you were really lucky someone brought you to us when they did." Hawkeye motioned to the glass full of shrapnel bits and dead bullets on a bed side table next to the girl, "We got all that out of you."

"There was enough metal in you to make a metal dinning room set with matching sporks." Trapper joked nervously, the girl smiled slightly but it quickly disappeared.

Hawkeye sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Listen kiddo, we're going to get breakfast, we'll come back after that and talk then if you feel ready."

"Then the General will come and you can go home." Trapper put in, both men stood up and began walking away from the girls bed when a weak voice stated something very plainly.

"I don't want to go home. I want to stay here."

  
  


It was war, no one wanted to stay here, both men turned around to look at the girl but she refused to meet their gaze.

  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	9. Touching the hearts of everyone

"She said WHAT?" Henry couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Trapper shrugged, "That's what she said Henry, she wants to stay here, she doesn't want to go home."

"What kind of deranged lunatic kid are we handling here?" Henry asked, "Everyone wants to go home!"

Hawkeye looked thoughtful for a moment before replying to this, "It sounds to me like this girl has a genuine reason for wanting to stay."

"Or at least not wanting to go home." Trapper put in.

The three men were silent for a few minutes while considering the situation at hand, a girl wants to stay at the 4077. It's the middle of the war, she can't be moved for at least a couple weeks. The 4077 is only three miles from the front and the girl knew it, what could possibly possess the girl into wanting to stay in the middle of a war? As the three men sipped their coffee and poked their forks into what seemed to be some form of hash browns and some form of eggs, or so they all hoped.

"Well," Henry sighed, "There's really nothing we can do, the general will take her back to the states in a couple weeks when she able to be moved safely." Hawkeye shook his head in disgust, "I have a feeling sending that girl back to the USA would be almost murder."

  
  


Trapper stared at him "Almost? What's worse than murder?"

"Living through being beaten and knifed...and surviving." Hawkeye said as he looked around.

******

  
  


Doctor Sidney Freedman had never seen a case like it, Sara had only spoken that one sentence to Hawkeye and Trapper and now once again she refused to talk. She refused to speak of what happened when she was captured by the enemy, about her home, about how she was treated at home. She even refused to give them her name, though that was no problem because they already knew it, still he had never seen a case like this before. She was described by Sidney to Henry, as quite bluntly, 'A broken soul with out the hope to put her life back together.' This worried everyone including Hawkeye and Trapper.

Though the surgeons and few nurses that had operated on Sara tried to keep quiet about the young girl's residence in the camp, somehow there was a leak and soon everyone knew about the young girl who had been saved by the two best surgeons in the 4077, Trapper John McIntyre and Hawkeye Pierce. Everyone also heard that this girl wasn't talking, which worried everyone even more, still nurses, doctors and enlisted men all came to say hello to this girl and tried to make her feel at home.

What Henry Blake, Hawkeye and Trapper did not realize was that slowly people were bringing this girl out of her seclusion, and slowly, everyone in the camp became more attached to this broken soul of a child and they were going to have even a harder time trying to get rid of her, the opposition was rising against them.

Except two certain Majors who both believed that a girl had no place what so ever in the nearest MASH camp from the front, but then, who really listened to Hot Lips Houlihan and Frank 'Ferret Face' Burns anyways? Not very many people, still at the very moment that Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan were asking Radar to talk to Colonel Blake who was desperately trying to sleep off the bad breakfast he had.

"Im sorry Major's but he busy." Radar protested as the two Majors desperately tried to get in to see the Colonel who was groaning from the noise outside his office.

"Nonsense!" Margaret protested, "Every time you tell us he's busy, he ends up sleep or something useless like that and Frank has a few choice words to say to him!"

Radar sighed, "I'll go tell him you're here." Radar put down his clipboard and knocked on the office door, "Sir Major's Houlihan and Burns are outside..." Both Majors barged through the door into Henry's office.

"Tell them I'm busy Radar, If I have to talk to The lipless wonder and Hot Lips I'll throw up what little food I had for breakfast." Radar coughed nervously and Henry sighed, "They're in the office aren't they?" The Colonel moaned and looked up to see two very angry majors staring at him.

"Alright what do you two want?" Henry demanded as he adjusted his fishing hat, "I was trying to get some work done."

"Frank wants to make a complaint about keep that wounded girl here another day!" Margaret said.

-Not again- Henry thought, "Is that true Frank?"

"Yes it is!" Margaret said angrily, "Frank believe's it's dangerous and inappropriate to have a girl in the camp and he's greatly disturbed by it!"

"Now what's so inappropriate about it?" Henry asked as he began to tie a fishing fly 

  
  


"With hooligans like Pierce and McIntyre around who knows what will happen?" Margaret protested. Henry only sighed.

"Are you suggesting that their pedophiles Frank?" Henry asked as he looked up at the two majors suspiciously, this sounded like another con to try and get his surgeons a dishonorable discharge.

"Yes," Margaret said, her face getting red with anger, "And if you don't do anything about it then your just worthless colonel with no place in the army!"

Henry stood up in anger and pointed his finger at Frank, "Now you watch what you say Burns or I might just have to slap her across the face." Margaret made some kind of squeaking noise before turning around in a huff and dragging Frank out of the office after her.

Henry sighed and sat back down "Just an average day at the 4077..."


	10. Three weeks

Hawkeye sat at the edge of Sara Howard's bed and look at her with pain in his eyes, she was awake, but not making eye contact with anyone. Trapper was sitting on the other side, a strange forlorn look on his face, neither man said a word.

"Dammit," Hawkeye muttered quietly, "What the hell is wrong?"

"Hawk?" Trapper asked, suddenly out of his trance, "What's wrong?" Hawkeye shook his head, "Nothing, im alright Trap."

"I wouldn't say that." Trap muttered as he checked the clip board with Sara's medical history on it.

"Come on kid," Hawkeye said in a pleading way, "You've got to talk some time."

Silence.

"She's not going to talk Hawkeye, No one can get through to her." Trapper said quietly as he read her information.

"It just doesn't make sense..." Hawkeye muttered.

"Ah Hawkeye, Trapper?" Radar had sneaked up behind them while they were talking, "The General's here again to take the girl back." 

Hawkeye sighed and stood up face to face with General Hammond, "Sir she can't go with you."

"Why ever not Pierce?"

"Because," Trapper stated, "She can't be moved for at least three weeks, and if or even then she could have a repercussion of past events, we're still not sure if we managed to remove all of the bullets and shrapnel from her."

The general sighed angrily and pushed past Hawkeye to get a good look at Sara, "Sara Howard?" He asked gruffly.

No response.

"I'm talking to you young lady." He said getting rather annoyed that someone would ignore him, a man of such high rank.

"Ah...General sir, she hasn't talked yet." Henry Blake said meekly from behind the general, "The only thing she said so far is that she didn't want to go home." The General's eyes bulged.

"She can't stay here!" He argued, "A war is no place for a child."

"You don't think I don't know that?" Henry asked, "But for the time being she'll have to stay here until she can be safely moved back to the US."

The general grumbled some rude words before turning to Hawkeye, "Let's make this perfectly clear," He stated slowly, "In three weeks, this girl is going back to the US whether it's safe or not."

"Yes sir." Hawkeye said as the General stalked grumpily out of the post-op tent, Hawk and Trapper gave him an ironic salute and turned back to Sara who was smiling widely.

"Don't think this means you win," Hawkeye began as everyone cleared away and only Trapper stayed with him, "In three weeks you're leaving and that's that."

"Hawkeye, im going to check blood supplies, I'll see you later." Trapper got up and left the room but Hawkeye continued to stare at Sara, the smiled had left her face now, she looked like she was about to cry, Hawkeye couldn't stand crying children, so with a shrug he got up from the bed and turned to leave the post-op. But when he was about three steps away a small but clear voice, "You want to know why I don't want to go home?"

Hawkeye turned around slowly and stared at the girl, "What-what did you say?"

Sara took a deep breath, "You want to know why I don't want to go home."

"Yeah," Hawkeye said as he quickly sat back down back on to the bed, "Yeah we all want to know why."

"Well I'm not going to tell everyone, Im going to tell you, unless you keep bothering me like this."

Hawkeye sighed, "Alright, so why don't you want to go home?"

Sara's eyes filled with pain as she rolled up her right sleeve and produced the large scar running from her wrist to her shoulder, "A few months ago I was living in Maine with my god parents, well after my mom died which was right after I was born they agreed to become my god parents because my family has quite a bit of money stashed away. And they wanted to get their hands on it. Anyways a few months ago my godfather came home drunk, we had a bit of a fight and he brought out a switch blade on me. I probably would have died but I have good reflexes and he only got my arm. They locked me in my room for over a month, I would have died but my friend knew about what my god parents did to me, when I didn't show up to school the next day she realized something was wrong, climbed up a big tree near my window and I explained everything. For the next month and a half she brought food over for me everyday." Sara sighed when she finished and quickly blinked away tears that filled her eyes.

"Why didn't you go to social securities?" Hawkeye asked.

"Don't think I didn't try, I went to them lots but hey, it's the word of a girl against two grownups and anyone else they can weave into their scheme."

"Why don't you live with your dad?" Hawkeye asked as he checked Sara's pulse.

"I couldn't live by myself when he went to war, so I moved in with them, or more they moved in with me. My dad travels a lot, so i stay with my godparents whenever he leaves, which is often."

-She's talking in present tense- Hawkeye thought, -she doesn't know her fathers dead-

Sara continued, "for the last year my dad's been in China, when the war started he sent me a letter saying he had been drafted and would be out here longer than he thought, for a while I lived at my different friends houses but then my godparents tracked me down and I had to go live with them. I haven't heard form my dad in a long time."

"But why were you in Korea?" Hawkeye asked.

"There was a program at our school before the war started, any student with an A average could transfer to a third world country and teach children, I also have a bit of nursing skills so I helped create a small hospital in a clinic where I was stationed. Anyways when the war started I couldn't leave, then the front line move forward and the village was taken by the enemy, being the only American child there, I was used as a hostage."

"Why'd they fill you with bullets?" 

"How should I know, maybe I was in their way." Sara's eyes fell again, "I-I know my dad's dead, I think I've known for a long time, but it's true isn't it?"

Hawkeye nodded grimly, Sara only took a deep breath and tried to be strong, Hawkeye walked over and put his arm around her shoulders, "You ok kiddo?"

The girl nodded, Hawkeye smiled slightly and held out his hand, "Im Captain Pierce, call me Hawkeye though, everyone else does."

Sara shield and shook his hand, "Im Sara."

"Well Sara," Hawkeye said as he stood up, "I can't guarantee that you wont go back to the USA but we won't let you go back to those godparents of yours."

"Thanks" she said weakly, her eyes closed and the small girl fell asleep.


	11. Where's she gonna stay?

"Well at least that's something." Henry Blake commented when Hawkeye came and told him that Sara had talked, "Now what?" Trapper John and Hawkeye sat on the other side of Henry's desk in his office.

"I suppose the next stop will be trying to get her well again or convince her to go home." Trapper suggested as he fiddled with Henry's Korean doll.

"Back to the USA?" Hawkeye asked, "Please tell me you don't mean back to her godparents, they'll kill her!"

"Oh now," Henry began, "You only have that one time for proof, besides she could have been lying."

"What, you want to send her to her death Henry?" Hawkeye asked.

"No not at all but she can't stay here for the rest of the war!" Henry protested, "God I need a drink, you two want something?" 

"No thanks, we brought our own." Trapper reached inside of his jacket and pulled out a large flask which was filled up to the brim with the home made martini, "Do you have glasses?" Henry nodded and brought three glasses, handed two to Hawkeye and Trapper and poured whiskey in the third for himself.

"Ah" Hawkeye sighed as he sipped the martini, "finest kinds."

"So," Henry sat up, "What are we going to do about Sara?"

All three men were silent, trying to think of a way to slip around the problem at hand, but the was no way around it, for the next three weeks they would be stuck with Sara at the camp whether they liked it or not.

"At least she's got some nursing skills, when she's up she'll be able to help around a bit maybe even teach us a few things." Trapper suggested nervously before sticking his nose back into his martini, downing it and pouring himself another one. Little did the three men know at the time but Trapper was right, she was going to teach them all something, something important that they would keep with them forever.

"Where's she gonna sleep?" Henry asked once he poured himself another whisky, "We have no room left....anywhere." Everyone was silent, where would she sleep, the nurses tent was full, they had no place else to set up another tent, Margaret had no room to share what with hair dryer and make-up kit and such.

"We'll set her up a cot in The Swamp." Hawkeye said mildly, Henry spat out the whisky in his mouth, Trapper just stared, "What? What'd I say?"

"Let me put it this way," Henry said calmly, "No way what so ever will she have a cot in The Swamp with you two inappropriate thugs."

"Oh now Henry, we can go to the nurses tent if we wanted to be inappropriate." Hawkeye told him placidly, "Barley anything goes on in The Swamp."

"Except drinking, smoking, gambling..." Henry could have gone on with a list but Trapper stopped him.

"Besides Henry, do you think we're pedophiles or something? We're not perverts 24-7."

"Yeah we can be appropriate in the company of a lady." Both Hawkeye and Trapper looked at each other before they burst out laughing. It was over two minutes when both blurry eyed surgeons calmed down.

"That's it." Henry said, "She goes back."

"Aw come on Henry," was the genuine reply to this, "Have a heart, yeah we'll be good! Honest!" Henry Blake just sighed.

  
  


-Of all the surgeons in all the world...- he thought -why me?-

"Alright! Alright, we'll make a little space in The Swamp for her, for three weeks, Hawkeye, you'll have to tell her that she goes back in three weeks."

"Meh, fair enough." Hawkeye said as he sipped his martini some more, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some patient checking to do."


	12. An angels voice

At the end of the first week Sara was able to walk again and they gave her a small cot in the corner of The Swamp (Much to Franks disgust) Around the cot they built a wooden frame and nailed army blankets across the frame to make a canopy, these blankets could be rolled down anytime and Sara could have her privacy. For the first few days she kept to herself, the only thing she carried with her was a small diary, though she called it her journal because diary sounded to girlish. 

Then she started to talk, After she had talked to Hawkeye it was Trapper, she explained it was him because "He joked around and didn't try to ask me questions." Then it was Father Mulcahy until she told him that if he was going to try to give her absolution or some catholic thing like that should wouldn't talk, she was Anglican and proud of it. After that it was Henry, then Radar. The only person she refused to talk to was Sidney Freedman,

"If I wanted a shrink to talk to me," Sara had begun one day, "I would talk to him, but I don't therefore I won't." By the time they finally had coxed her into talking to him, the doctor had decided that maybe it was best he talked to her like everyone else had, and not give her some stupid reason why everything was going to be alright. Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan had talked to Sara, but they were quickly forced to leave the post-op by Henry because they were making her nervous.

"Don't worry about Hot lips and Ferret face," Hawkeye told her, "They're just mad because you didn't leave the first time the general came."

"Yeah they're party poopers" Trapper said.

It was a rainy Tuesday, casualties had finally stopped coming in for the time being, everyone at this point was using their free time for either sleeping, drinking or gambling. But in this rare time Hawkeye and Trapper invited Sara, who had officially become a "Swampgirl" to the officers club where they would buy her a drink, much to her dismay and saying repeatedly over, "But I'm underage!" Never the less they managed to drag the helpless girl into the officers club where everyone welcomed her warmly.

At the piano sat Father Mulcahy, tinkering away trying to compose a tune. Klinger sat at the bar talking with a nurse about hair and make-up, Henry Blake was trying desperately to shake off Frank and Margaret who were still protesting Sara becoming a "Swampgirl".

"Take a seat," Hawkeye said as they reached the bar, "Give us three of your best non-alcoholic beverage please!" The bar tender just stared at Hawkeye, Sara and Trapper.

"Are you sure she can't drink all that?" He asked as he put a glass he was shining back on the shelf.

"One for each of us!" Trapper said, smiling. The entire officers club went quiet, Did Trapper just say He and Hawkeye were going to have non-alcoholic drinks? Yes they did, Henry stumbled over to the bar where they sat.

"Alright, what have you two been smoking?" He asked, "Anything then the average and im gonna court marshal your you-know-what's to the moon."

"Honest Henry, we haven't smoke anything, we just want to try something that wont rot out our brain cells." Hawkeye told him as he took a sip of a virgin margarita placed in front of him, "Yecch, I'll take rotting brain cell's any day." Hawkeye leaned over the counter and picked up some bottle of alcohol and poured half of it into his glass, "Ah" he sighed when he took a drink, "Much better." Everyone started talking again, apparently both men were just insane and forgot to say "Extra alcohol please." Sara sipped her's and smiled, this was one wacky place she was staying at, she had no idea it was about to get even stranger. Who should walk into the officers club but Klinger. Sara didn't notice him at first until he sat down on the stool next to her.

"Oh Sara, this is Klinger. Klinger this is Sara." The girl stared at him for a moment before turning to look at Hawkeye, "Did you forget to tell me something?"

"Im trying to get a section 8 dishonourable discharge." Klinger told her, "Im trying to convince everyone I'm insane." Sara just smiled nervously and started to sip her drink again.

-This place is wacked- she thought -everyone here has flipped their lids- That made her 

smile.

"Do you thing you'll be able to help us in surgery?" Trapper asked as Klinger moved over and Trapper sat down on the left side of Sara.

"Me? Geez I don't know, wouldn't Ferret Face have something to say on that?" Sara asked, Frank spun around at hearing his nickname and became angry.

"Are you trying to corrupt another person Pierce?" He asked.

"Oh Frank you know I don't corrupt anyone!" 

"Yeah....right." Frank replied, he glared at Sara who just put on an innocent look and sipped her drink again. Ferret Face turned around in a huff and went back to Margaret and Henry at the table they were sitting at.

"Sure you could help out!" Hawkeye said as he downed his martini, "It's bound to get more busy in surgery and we can use all the hands we can't get."

Sara thought about this for a moment before replying, "I'll help anyway I can for the time being. I go back in two weeks so Im not sure how much help I can be..."

"Ah you won't leave if we have anything to say about it." Trapper commented as we ordered another martini. Father Mulcahy was trying to play an old Frank Sinatra tune on the piano but was about an octave off.

"Father try bringing it down and octave!" Sara said to him across the room, The father did and had 'Fly Me to The moon' perfect.

"Thank you daughter." father said as he began to play Frank Sinatra tunes.

"I think you just saved us all from getting hearing aids hearing." Hawkeye whispered to her as the unchained melody of Frank Sinatra floated softly through the officers club.

"I think I'm going back to The Swamp," Sara told them, "You certainly have a nice place here." Trapper and Hawkeye said goodbye as got another drink.

Outside the rain fell heavily, lightning crashed over head and the wind slashed through the camp at top speed.

-Perfect- Sara thought, -better make a run for it- And so the girl made a dash towards The Swamp, trying desperately not to get drenched in the downpour. Once she reached the Swamp, Sara went to her cot and took out her journal and stared thoughtfully at it, the pages were full of words that would never come from a lady...but then Sara was hardly a lady. Some of the entries were brutal some of them seemed to be full of pain and sorrow. Despite her best efforts, tears filled Sara's eyes, she tried to blink them away with little effort. 

-Oh god- Sara thought, -this is what's become of me, some sobbing baby?- The girl just shrugged off her thought and sighed, life was too complicated to cry over. Quietly Sara began to sing to herself, a song she had heard one time. Logically it was raining to hard and she was to far away from anyone to hear, but of course someone did hear.

  
  


Radar was in the middle of a beer when his ears perked up, someone singing but who? Sara was singing.

"Hey Radar what is it?" Hawkeye asked, "More casualties?" Radar just shook his head.

"Someone's singing," He told them, "I think it's the kid." Hawkeye and Trapper gave each other looks of confusion before getting up from the bar and racing back towards the Swamp, outside the Swamp door they put their ears to the walls and listened. A strong soprano voice was clear through the walls, Sara was indeed singing.

  
  


_Somewhere....there's a place where I can be,_

_safe from all the horror of the world._

_Somewhere...there's a place where all the pain is gone,_

_Somewhere, I can live free from my soul_

_I don't know where I'm going to,_

_Don't know where I've fallen to,_

_Don't know what I can depend on now,_

_I'm all...alone._

  
  
  
  


A group of nurses and enlisted men had circled around the tent, listening to the small girl sing. Some of the nurses were even crying, Hawkeye and Trapper just stared in disbelief at the beauty of Sara's voice. 

_...and when I'm all alone,_

_and there's nothing left to live for,_

_I know wherever I am,_

_faith will keep me strong, _

_I have faith that your love,_

_will keep...me strong..._

  
  


The singing stopped, quietly everyone left the vicinity of the Swamp and went back to what they were doing, for a few more minutes Trapper And Hawkeye just stood outside in the rain, in wonderment and almost a slight fear, the song was so sad. Was this the feelings of Sara? In a way they almost hoped it wasn't, because if it was, they only had a small idea of what Sara had really gone through.

  
  


A few minutes later Trapper and Hawkeye entered the Swamp, didn't say a word and went straight to bed, they had a lot to think about.


	13. Mud and meatball surgery

The next day the rain had stopped at for the time being, large puddles were around the camp and if you even stepped outside you would sink into a foot of mud, It was heaven. No casualties were expected for that day which was for the better, no helicopter could land on the ground without sinking.

Frank had spent the night in Margaret's tent and now couldn't return to the Swamp much to Hawkeye and Trapper's delight, Sara could have cared less because she didn't know Frank very well. No one mentioned having heard her sing the night before, in fact both Hawkeye and Trapper had woken up with just hangovers that they didn't remember anything from the night before except trying to drink something that didn't have alcohol in it. 

So to pass by the time Hawkeye and Trapper brought out their cards and began to play poker, never seen the game played before, Sara pulled up a metal box and sat down to watch them play. After a few minutes of going back and forth, taking cards and adding more money to the small pile in the middle of the table.

"Hey kiddo," Trapper said as he added two dollars to the pile, "Wanna play. I fold, what do you have?"

Hawkeye produced his cards, "Full house, aces over queens, come to poppa." Hawkeye grinned as he pulled all the money and chips over to his side of the table, "You know how to play?"

Sara shrugged, "Nope but I've got five dollars in quarters if that counts for anything." Trapper and Hawkeye smiled, "Pull up a chair." Sara did just that and for the next half hour two men and one girl played poker, in the end Sara had swiped over half of the money and one five out of ten games.

"I thought you said you'd never played before..." Hawkeye said to her suspiciously.

"I was bluffing." She said simply as she pocketed the money she had won.

"Attention all personnel" Radar's voice came over the intercom, "Incoming casualties, better get to surgery stat, it's going to be a long day." Hawkeye sighed and stood up from his cot, "On to meat ball surgery," He said with little enthusiasm, "What to try and nurse?"

Sara looked up and was thoughtful for a moment, "I suppose I out to try to help anyway I can," 

Trapper helped Sara up, "All help is appreciated."

The mud outside was worse than they thought, Several times Sara got stuck and either Trapper or Hawkeye had to help her out, one time Hawkeye just stood where he was in the middle of the mud.

"What's wrong?" Sara asked as she looked back.

"I lost my boot," He replied, "I think the mud ate it." And so Trapper went ahead to the post-op to begin cutting chest and Sara searched for Hawkeye's boot while he stood on one foot in the middle of the mud, eventually she found the lost boot but it now provided less protection from the mud then Hawkeye's socks, still he put it on. Once they reached the post-op, Margaret, who had become quite fond of Sara and treated her almost like a daughter, helped the young girl get ready to help operate. 

"We've got to get rid of this third rib," Hawkeye told Trapper, "It's broken and crushing this guys aorta." 

"Rib spreader."

"Rib spreader," Sara said as she handed Trapper the instrument.

"So how do you like your first meatball surgery?" He asked as he carefully removed the rib that blocked his way, "Kelly clamp"

"Kelly" Sara handed him the clamp, "It's certainly a new experience, after all I've seen here I would have expected someone to be singing Frank Sinatra tunes."

Trapper smiled, "That's Hawkeye's job, Sponge." Sara handed him the sponge, "What do you say Hawk? Give us a tune." Hawkeye smiled as he stitched up his patient.

"What? More Frank?" He asked, "Honestly, don't you ever get tired of him?"

"Not at all Pierce," Henry said as he clamped down a bleeding artery, "Anything to keep you from making you comments..." Radar's head peeked around the curtain in the OR.

"Sir?" He said timidly.

"Yo." Henry replied in a sort of annoyed way.

"um, General Hammond says he's coming to take Sara to Seoul on Thursday at 0900 hours." Everyone in the room became deathly quiet.

"What?" Henry roared, "She can't go back, she's....she's, she's not well yet!" Sara only sighed, "Colonel Blake, you and I both know that I'm well to travel, even if I don't want to." She picked up, "Now if this scalpel should accidentally fall on my foot and cut off a toe, that would be a completely different situation."

Everyone in the room laughed, then Hawkeye spoke, "Henry? Isn't there anyway to stop her from going back?"

"What?" Sara whispered quietly.

"Well I suppose you could beg General Hammond to let her stay, but of course that would involve eighty percent of the officers signing a petition saying that they were fine with it. Then you would have to go on appeal to him and try to convince him that she could stay."

"I see" Hawkeye said quietly.


	14. The First Farewell

Everyone was laughing and crying, hugging and cheering and bidding their farewells to Sara, who just stood their unhappily and cried very lightly. General Hammond had indeed come to get her, they were going to Seoul where in a few days after questioning, Sara would be shipped home. Little did the young girl know but Hawkeye had gone to the expense of collecting over half the signatures on a petition to let Sara stay at the 4077 with them. Of course the only two officers who didn't sign the petition were Majors Houlihan and Burns, who were quite disgusted by the thought of keeping a "child" so near the front.

Frank of course called Hawkeye a  pedophile for trying to keep the young girl around, but Hawkeye just brushed off his comments with a laugh, deep in his heart though, Hawkeye knew something else. He felt some kind of strange connection with this young girl, this broken spirit.

"She's like a pony that's been whipped to life's very edge," Hawkeye once described to Trapper, "She has to be coxed back into civilization slowly, after all the pain she's gone through you can't expect anything more." And now, all the officers and enlisted personnel had to keep in their excitement of the petition, everyone had to hold in this surprise for a few more days when Hawkeye, Trapper, Henry Blake, and Radar would go down to Seoul for the appeal. 

Everyone was laughing and crying, this could be the last time they would see the broken soul of a child, the last they would hear of her voice and the last they would be able to see her bright smile. At the time though, no one thought of that, everyone's trust in Hawkeye was too strong, they had full faith that he would bring her back.

"Be good kiddo." Hawkeye said quietly as he hugged Sara and choked back tears, Sara on the other hand had no intention of choking back anything. Tears flowed slowly down her face, her blue green eyes shone in the early morning sunlight.

"Thank you," She whispered, "For everything." He hugged her tightly one more time before stepping back and letting Henry step forward.

Henry cleared his throat and tried not to cry, "Be good kid, maybe I'll see you back in the good ol' US of A." Sara nodded and looked around at the 4077th MASH, smiling slightly she stepped into the jeep and buckled up.

"I'll see you in a few days" General Hammond whispered to Henry before getting into the jeep beside Sara, "Alright corporal, let's go!" The corporal saluted and started the engine, Sara turned around in her seat to face the small crowed from the MASH, as the jeep drove down the dusty road she waved them what she thought would be her last goodbye. Hawkeye didn't stay to watch her leave, instead he made his way rather quickly back to the Swamp and poured himself a martini.

A few minutes later Trapper entered the tent, his eye's were filled with sorrow and he slouched slightly trying not to look at Hawkeye. For a few minutes both men said nothing, Trapper was sitting on his cot staring blankly out into the camp where everything seemed eerily quiet. Hawkeye continued to sip his martini, his mind wandered in different directions, something just didn't fee right. 

Everything was too quiet. Then at last Hawkeye spoke.

"I miss her already."

"I know what you mean, she's brought a lot of cheer to this dismal place." Trapper sighed and picked up a dirty magazine, but that didn't consol Hawkeye, something inside of him felt empty, like he was missing a piece of himself, he began to pace the tent.

"Jeezus Hawk!" Trapper exclaimed, "What's wrong? We'll see her in a few days!"

Hawkeye sighed and sat down on his cot, "I know that! I just....just... oh never mind."

Sorry this is a short chapter, I've just gotten into an enrichment english program at school and my teacher wants me to write more to the novel Im working on, so Im a bit preoccupied. Dont worry, chapters will keep coming!


	15. We request

"I told you!" Sara cried, "I don't know anything! I don't speak Korean! How should I know what they were saying?" It had been two days since Sara had left the 4077th, every day her heart felt heavy, she didn't want to leave but they had made her anyways. Now here she was in Seoul, in a larger room surrounded by strangers asking her a lot of questions and General Hammond trying to get information out of her when there was no information to give.

"Young lady." General Hammond began sternly, "The north Koreans wouldn't just fill you with bullets for no reason. You must have heard something, anything."

Sara sighed, "Well of course I heard something! But number one I don't remember it and two I don't speak Korean so if you wanted me to translate you would be out of luck." 

The general grumbled some dirty words before continuing, "You had better be telling the truth young lady..."

"And If Im not?" She asked

"Then your in deep trouble." He responded.

"It's illegal to hurt minors!" Sara retorted back. The General went red as an apple before breathing a few times.

"Bring in her friends." Sara's ears perked up, Friends? As far as she knew, her friends hadn't suddenly shipped over to Korea, so when Hawkeye, Trapper, Henry and Radar entered the room, she shrieked with joy before bounding up to hug all of them.

"Alright, alright, settle down." The general commanded, "Sara, take your seat. Now why exactly have you come here today?" The general asked the 4077th crew.

  
  


Henry stood up, "Sir, we wish to make a request in allowing Sara Howard to stay at the 4077th MASH unit." Sara gasped, and put her hand over her mouth, They wanted her to stay at the MASH. Hours passed as Henry, Hawkeye, Trapper and Radar stated their cases for allowing Sara to stay at the 4077th, Off and on the general seemed to change his mind. Still the same issue came to light over and over, The 4077th is three miles from the front, what if the camp was taken over? To this the answer came quite clearly.

  
  


"We're a MASH unit," Hawkeye said simply, "We're not allowed to be captured. We a home free area." The general grumbled a bit about this.

"She would be safer at home..." He said.

"No I wouldn't," Sara put in bluntly.

"Excuse me?"

"If I went back home I would probably die." She said plainly.

The general sighed, "Young lady, you have god parents who care a great deal about back in the USA, I could send you back there right now If I wanted to."

"Sure you could," Sara agreed, "Then a few weeks later you would receive word of my death and forever be stained with the thoughts of the girl you sent back home to her almost certain doom."

"I highly doubt your going to die if you get sent home." The General told her, "I wouldn't let you go home if you were going to get hurt by someone or something..."

"Then don't let her go home." Hawkeye put in.

"Captain Pierce I highly doubt any harm is coming to her, Im sure she is treated normally at home..."

That had done it, everyone in the room was talking quietly when Sara stood up, Tears streamed down her cheeks, quickly the girl rolled up her sleeve and produced the long scar.

"Is this normal!?" She asked, "Is Something like this normal for someone my age to get?"The general was speechless, "What happened?" He asked quietly. Sara breathed in and sighed before explaining the whole story. When at last she had finished, Sara was crying silently, Hawkeye walk over to her and sat down before hugging her tightly.

"Well," The general stated, "I suppose it will be alright if she stays, but only if it's alright with Henry." the general looked over at Colonel Blake who sighed, the judgement of life or death, great.


	16. The Judgement of Henry

~ Authors note, alright so I haven't written in a long time, so sue me. Been REAL busy, but Im back now, writers block is gone!. Also this chapter is short because I was stuck in between chapters and needed a filler, so this is it. And no, the story is NOT done yet, much more to come.  
  


"Frankly," Henry said simply, "I don't see why she couldn't stay with us, I mean of course it isn't safe but by the looks of it sending her back home wouldn't be very safe either. Besides, she has experience and doesn't get sick in meatball surgery. Anyone like that can stay." Quiet loomed through the small room before the general spoke.

"So the verdict?"

"She can stay." Henry said plainly. The room was eerily quiet for a moment, no one said a word as if what Henry had just said was a lie and he was about to change his mind, but he didn't say anything. Sara had a wide smile on her face, but she didn't say anything. Hawkeye and Trapper were to shocked to say anything, they just stared at Henry with their mouths hanging open.

"Well," The general said gruffly, "We still have a few more things to clear up, We'll send Sara along to you Saturday." The General stood up as he prepared to leave, "Your all dismissed, Sara come with me." Nodded meekly the girl stood up and followed the frowning general out of the room.

Once they had both left the room was deathly quiet, no one spoke a word, then suddenly, as if the play button had been pressed, everyone erupted into cheers. Hugging, laughing and crying everyone was happy beyond words.

She was going to stay.  
  
  
  



	17. Return

Im baaaaaack, you all waited for this right? And Katie Malone! Hush, hush you'll give it away! 

Anyways Im back, Im going to try and work more on The truth of hearts and two CSI fics Im working on so the updates wont be as often...

  
  
  
  


She was going to stay... Somewhere someone was watching over this young girl and her friends... someone was giving them all new hope, it would be two weeks before Sara could return to the 4077th MASH unit, but the two weeks would fly by for everyone.... and it did...

  
  


Two weeks later~

  
  


Sara stepped from the army jeep and looked around the dark camp, Radar grabbed her bag but she quickly replied that she would take it.

"Where is everyone?"

Radar shrugged, "Probably... sleeping?" He was no good at lying.

"Radar?" 

"The swamp..." He replied looking rather disappointed in himself, "Surprise party..."

Sara shook her head and laughed quietly before turning and walking towards the Swamp, Radar followed her, mentally kicking himself for giving away the surprise.

No lights came from the Swamp, Sara wasn't surprised in the least, in all honesty she would have preferred to just go and lay down on her bunk and sleep... for a very long time. Oh well, she shrugged slightly and opened the door to the swamp to be greeted by a loud "Surprise!"

Everyone (including Frank and Margaret whom had gotten a bit more warmer towards the girl) jumped out from behind the bunks and raced forward to exchange hugs. It was five minutes before everyone had quieted down, Tears of joy streamed down Sara's face, she felt like she was truly home. Hawkeye stepped forward rather slowly and said, "It's great to see you again." He handed over a small box wrapped in blue paper, "It's a welcome home present."

"Thank you." Sara replied as she carefully removed the paper and opened the small package...

  
  


Ho ho, short chapter just to bug all of ya! You'll have to wait to see what happens!


	18. I've got the world on a string

Once again i would like to apologize for my lack of writing, some of you are just to good with the psychic power and you seem to know what Im going to write before I put it down on paper. Anyways, schools almost done so i can start my typing once more.

  
  
  
  


Sara looked up at Hawkeye and smiled, "Thank you" in the small box lay a silver chain with two dog tags resting on the end. Sara put the necklaces around her neck and looked around at the small room full of people.

"Well," Henry came forward, "Let's not just stand here... Party people! come one!" 

The celebrating went into the night, it was past midnight before everyone finally went to bed. Sara lay on her bunk in deep thought about what had just happened to her in the last few days... Everything had happened. But it didn't matter now, she was staying and that was that. 

  
  


"Attention all units!" Early morning sunlight streamed through the Swamps cracks, "Incoming wounded, I repeat incoming wounded. Lunch today will be meat balls in spaghetti sauces, I repeat, lunch today..."

Hawkeye groaned and already knew he would be skipping that meal, He could already hear Trapper getting up and pulling on his robes.

"Come on Hawk, we got people waiting for our services..."

"Blood wasn't on my contract..." Hawkeye muttered as he sat up on his cot.

"Oh do be reasonable," Sara said as she tied by her hair, "We wouldn't want to upset the people that invited you here now would we?"

Hawkeye groaned, "How you manage to do this I'm not sure, I'd get the hell out of here as soon as I could." Sara smiled slightly and bent over to make her bed.

"Well you've been here longer," She said, "Besides, any place is better than home.."

"I find that hard to believe..." Trapper said.

Sara chuckled slightly, "Fine, I'll trade you then, and when you come back screaming you'll see what I mean."

"You mean I could pass as you and go home?" Trapper said, "Works for me..."

"Ha ha" Sara said sarcastically, "I don't think you can get away with it but go ahead and try..."

"Henry would probably send you back with a section 8..." Hawkeye said.

"Boy would Klinger be mad" Sara finished, her eyes were twinkling.

Hawkeye Stretched quickly, "Alright, to the hell hole." he said, referring to the OR. The two surgeons and the now surgeon in training walked quickly through the camp to the OR where a large line up of wounded soldiers waited to be treated.

After being sterilized Hawkeye went to work on a soldier with a head wound while Trapper and Sara began to pick shrapnel out of another young man. 

"You know how to stitch?" Trapper asked.

"Yup," Sara replied.

"Well stitch up this please? I have to work on picking out the rest of this mans newest collection of bullets."

"Sure, let's get him a display box when this is all over, he can proudly say he fought for a cause..."

"Don't you mean a good cause?" Frank demanded as he and Margaret worked on a soldier with several broken ribs.

"Noo," Sara said, "Going off and randomly killing people isn't a good cause, it's a lost one."

  
  


Frank snorted, "If this was a thousand years ago you would be burned as a heretic."

"And if this was a thousand years ago you would be painted as one of 'the ugly people' and then burned at the stake for practising magic." Sara retorted, "But it isn't and I stick to my word when I say this war and all wars are fought for lost causes."

"Are you supporting the commies?" Frank demanded.

Sara sighed in irritation, "Yes Frank, I'm secretly a commie in disguise and during the night I'm going to destroy you all with my laser eyes." Complete sarcasm

"I knew It!" Frank said before realising that Sara had been joking.

Hawkeye smiled, his eyes were twinkling with amusement, "I've longed to see the day when a child manages to out wit Frank, now I can go home and cross it off of my list of things to see."

Sara smiled and continued to pass the instruments to Trapper. An hour passed by, the odd joke went around the OR but everyone was clearly concentrating on the patients and didn't seem to want to be bothered.

"Geez," Henry said, "Talk about tension, someone lighten the mood." 

"Don't be so demanding Henry," Hawkeye said, "It will lighten when Frank leaves."

"Hey!" said Frank, "I don't weigh that much."

"His bones are hollow like a birds..." Trapper said, "It goes with his brain."

"I resent that." Frank muttered.

"You would..." Trapper started to say.

"Hey hey!" Henry said, "Be nice children, we've got patients to fix."

"Tell them to stop breaking." Sara muttered as she handed Trapper a clamp, "Then we could all go home."

"You could go home now," Margaret said, "Instead of being here where you don't belong."

Sara looked up and smiled innocently, "Oh but I'm enjoying myself here, besides: you would have to drag me back home..." Margaret didn't say anything, knowing that Sara was better off here then home.

Sensing tension arising, Hawkeye decided that it was time for that song everyone kept asking for, but not from him. 

"You sing something Sara," Hawkeye said, his eyes had that twinkle to them, "Something jazzy, lighten the mood."

"Me? Noooo" Sara said, blushing slightly, "I can't sing."

Hawkeye chuckled, "That's not what we've all heard." Sara crinkled her face in annoyance and sighed.

"No, it's embarrassing." she said simply.

"Oh go on," Trapper said, "Hawk will sing with you."

"What? No I won't."

"Ha ha, you started it." Sara said, she smiled, "It's only fair."

Hawkeye smiled and sighed, "Alright stitch this guy up, Trapper; you need a hand?"

"Already got two but yeah, this guys got major liver damage. I could use one more pair to held get the rest of the shrapnel out."

Hawkeye nodded and got a new pair of gloves before moving up beside Sara and helping Trapper stitch up the liver while she carefully picked out shrapnel bits.

"Go on," Hawkeye said, "You know 'I've got the world on a String'?" Sara smiled and nodded, "I do indeed." She replied.

  
  


I've got the world on a string (Hawkeye began)

Sittin' on a rainbow 

  
  


Hawkeye nudged Sara slightly in the ribs and she joined in.

  
  


Got the string around my finger,

What a world, what a life

I'm in love...

I've got a song that I sing,

I can make the rain go,

anytime I move my finger.

Lucky me, can't you see?

I'm in love.

  
  


Life is a beautiful thing, 

as long as I hold the string.

I'd be a silly so and so,

If I should ever let you go.

  
  


I've got the world on a string,

sitting on a rainbow.

Got the string around me finger,

what a world what a life,

Im in love...


	19. Poker night and sick bugs

"Attention all units, Attention all units. There will be a poker tournament today after dinner. Anyone is welcome to take part, bring money and if you're broke, Captain Pierce says 'anything from a nurses tent works as well.'"

  
  


The flu had hit, it was only supposed to last for twenty-four hours . . . Hawkeye laughed every time he thought of this. Right now it was only making the nurses sick, Hawkeye, Trapper, Henry and Frank still hadn't caught it; and everyone prayed they would remain healthy because the memory of the last flu virus still hung in the air. Hawkeye really didn't need another signed toilet paper roll.

The poker tournament in the Swamp was dismal, almost no one turned up. So their they all sat at the small table, Henry, Hawkeye, Trapper, Frank (surprisingly enough) and of course Sara who was giving them a run for their money.

"I fold." Henry said over his cigar, "I've lost one to many times to you Sara." Her eyes twinkled.

"Oh come on Henry, don't be a sore loser, we'll have to call you Frank then!" Frank glared at her, "I resent that."

The game went on for a few more minutes but everyone quickly lost interest and moved over to the officers clubs except for Sara who stayed behind to try to get some rest.

"Give me the driest martini you can manage." Hawkeye ordered, "I expect to be drunk in half the time it took me yesterday."

"I'll have what he's having." Trapper said as he sat down next to Hawkeye on a bar stool.

"You two will have to be careful," Henry warned, "There's a lady in your tent now."

Hawkeye and Trapper stared at each other for a moment before smirking slightly and then bursting into tears.

"Really Henry, if your so concerned about Sara, get Frank out of the tent, I'd say he's the biggest threat out of all of us." Trapper said, "Beside we're not perverts."

"I have no comment on that." Henry said as he sipped his drink, "I just think you two should be careful about what you say or do in that tent, especially you Pierce."

"Me Henry?" Hawkeye said, "Oh please you know me better than that." Over in the corner of the bar, Frank and Margaret sat together and chatted quietly over their drinks... plotting. After a few minutes They both stood up and walked over to Hawkeye, Henry and Trapper who were sitting at the bar.

"Sir," Margaret said, "Major Burns has something he want's to say to you." Henry sighed and muttered something which sounded slightly like 'Why me?' before turning around to face Margaret and Frank., "What is it Margaret?"

"Despite the fact that she's clearly mature for her age," Margaret began, clearly not letting Frank have any say in this, "Frank doesn't think it's suitable for Sara to be staying in the surgeons tent..."

"Oh, "Hawkeye said, "Your just jealous because there isn't enough room for you!"

"Frank get's very lonely Margaret," Trapper put in.

"Be quiet!" Margaret snapped as Frank put on a look that gave him a sour lemon appearance, "It's not healthy for a young girl like her to be living in a unhygienic pen with animals like you two. And further more these two are disgusting maniacs with sick thoughts in their heads."

"Are you suggesting Frank, that in some kind of drunk rage either Hawkeye or Trapper would do something to her?" Henry asked as he unscrewed the cap off of a bottle of head ache pills.

"Yes that's exactly what Frank is saying!" Margaret snapped.

"Oh do be fair Hotlips," Hawkeye said, clearly drunk now, "If I went back to the swamp like this, she could knock me lightly in the jaw and I'd be out cold."

Trapper laughed with his drunk friend, "Drunk you're more than am I." He laughed again and pretended to hiccup and then became serious once more, "Margaret, you expect to much from us, we might be weirdo's but we're certainly not sick weirdo's."

"Tell me Frank," Hawkeye said, "Where did you take ventriloquist lessons? Your absolutely wonderful at not moving your mouth while your dummy talks."

Margaret opened her mouth to answer back to that but before she could, Henry looked at his watched and turned to Hawkeye and Trapper, "You two have duty now don't you?" They didn't but Henry wanted to talk to Margaret and Frank in private, but with the way the conversation was going so far he would be talking to just Margaret. Getting the idea, Hawkeye and Trapper got up from their bar stools and strolled over back to the Swamp.

"Honestly, Margaret can't ever seem to leave well enough alone." Hawkeye muttered.

"Your making sense," Trapper said, "Clearly you haven't had enough to drink."

"shush," Hawkeye said, "She's asleep." He pointed at Sara who was lying on her cot with her eyes closed.

"No I'm not," Sara said, "But the idea of fainting seems pretty good to me..."

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Well lets just say I'm not liking this flu any better today than I was yesterday. In fact, I think I hate it, hate it enough to have it."

"Uh-oh," Hawkeye and Trapper walked over to Sara's cot as she sat up.

"Your burning up Sara..." Trapper said, "Let's get you to the quarantine area."

  
  


"More suction." Hawkeye ordered, but his mind was somewhere else. The flu bug was still circling around, nurses came and went depending on how they felt. Sara was still in the sick room, her fever was slowly rising.

"It has to be repercussions from when they shot her." Trapper said, as he picked bone fragments from a young soldier, for some reason the OR was completely quiet as the surgeons worked away on the newest batch of wounded.

"I hope so," Hawkeye said, "she doesn't need anything else like this right now. Clamp." The nurse handed him a clamp.

  
  


Henry looked tired, "Tell the colonel in charge of this unit to stop telling his man that it's a good thing to collect bullets."

"Did the war start Henry?" Trapper asked, "Someone should have told me..."

"I thought this was a surgeons convention..." Hawkeye said.

The hours in the OR passed slowly, several nurses had to go lay down and non of them came back. The flu was spreading like a horrible joke told by Hawkeye, by the end of the day everyone knows it and is sick of it, that's just how the flu was effecting people. Hawkeye was worried about her.

  
  
  
  


"I need a stiff drink," Trapper said as they washed up from the meat ball surgery, "You coming?"

Hawkeye shook his head, "I'm gonna go check on Sara and the other nurses, I'll catch up with you."

Trapper shrugged, "Suit yourself." When Trapper arrived at the officers club, he found Henry was already there, downing a banana daiquiri.

"What? That time of the day already?" He joked as he sat down next to Henry.

"It's always that time of day for you," The colonel replied, "Where's your partner in crime?"

"Checking on his patient in crime."

Henry smiled slightly, "Pierce has become quite attached to that kid."

Trapper laughed as he sipped his martini, "He has indeed, hope it won't effect his practice." There was a moment of silence before Trapper looked at Henry, "You don't think she would.... would she?" Henry just shrugged and drank the rest of his daiquiri.

"He's a grown man," Trapper started to say, "Wait, cut that, he's an over grown child. Still I'm sure he can keep his head and wits about him."

"Wits for sure," henry said, "But if he loses his head I'm not allowed to let him operate." Trapper laughed and finished his martini.

"I'm gonna go check on Sara, wanna come?"

"Why not?" Henry said.

When they arrived in the building reserved for those with the flu, Henry and Trapper weren't the least surprised to see Hawkeye sitting on Sara's cot, checking her vital signs, taking her temperature and talking with her.

"How you doing kiddo?" Henry asked, "You've got one hell of a fever."

Sara smiled slightly, "You don't have to tell me that, first I'm hot, then I'm cold, I feel like someone's placed a thirty pound bag of heated bricks on my forehead. And if you nine could just stop spinning I would be able to get up without falling over... again."

"Well hang in there," Trapper said, "You'll get over it, everyone else has."

"Yeah, sooner than later is always nice. You guys sure don't look any better than I feel, you might want to try this sleep thing, I hear it's a big fad."

"Alright, just talk to the nurses if you need anything." Hawkeye said.

"Will do." Sara replied.

The three surgeons left her to sleep so they could go get some of their own.


	20. The pass

"Radar!" Henry yelled, before after Radar's head popped around the office door.

"Yes sir?"

"Radar get..."

"Yes sir I'll get captain Pierce in here right away...

"Get captain Pierce in here..."

Radar was halfway out the door when Henry looked up, "Radar?"

"Yes sir," radar said, "I'll stop doing that."

Trapper was reading the latest dirty magazine in Henry's office, a childish grin was pasted on his face.

"You two are going to give me gray hair long before my time, you know that don't you?"

Trapper looked up, "Oh now be fair Henry," He thought for a moment, "Gray is the next black."

Henry glared at the surgeon and picked up his Korean doll and began to fiddle with it, "Frank is really bursting my bubble this time..."

"Well maybe you should bring Sara here as well if it concerns her..." Henry just shook his head, "She's too sick."

"Sir," Radar's head popped around the corner of the door, "Captain Pierce is here,"

"Well show him..."

"What is it Henry?" Hawkeye was already in the office when Henry started talking, "I've got sick patients."

Henry sighed and stood up, "It's about Sara..."

"What about her?"

"Pierce, major Burns and Houlihan are making running this camp a living hell." Henry poured himself a drink of whisky.

"Point being?"

"Their trying to get me replaced because I'm allowing her to stay here, they've already written dozens of notes to General Clayton and Hammond, complaining about the way I run this camp. With Sara living here; well to be blunt in a rather blunt fashion and to explain myself bluntly..."

"Henry," Trapper said.

"What?"

"Your babbling again."

Henry sighed and rubbed his eyes, "General Hammond isn't happy about her being here already, General Clayton is furious. And their about ready to replace me."

"Well what do you suggest?"

Henry sighed again, "Sending her home..."

"But.."

"Pierce the war isn't any place for a child, let alone one in her situation. If she went back to the US she wouldn't go to her god parents, we'd make sure of that. But keeping her here is just as dangerous."

Hawkeye thought about this for a moment, "What if i could get Ferret face and Hot Lips off your case?"

"What do you mean what if?"

"If I got them to leave you alone about Sara, then would you let her stay?"

"Sure, why not. If you did get them to leave me alone then I would also be in debt to you for the rest of my life and give you a three day pass out of this dump... but that's a big if."

"Consider it done." Hawkeye replied, Henry only laughed.... and laughed, and laughed some more.

  
  


"Attention all personnel, incoming wounded. Major wounded, its gonna be a long night people. The OR is open 24/7 for all your bleeding needs." 

  
  


Henry stood up and sighed, "Well time to put our noses to the grind stone,"

"It's painful." Trapper said.

"What is?"

"Putting our noses to the grind stones."

"Go scrub up McIntyre." Trapper smiled and stood up quickly, he quickly fell back down in the chair.

"What's wrong Trap?" Hawkeye asked.

"Nothing, just a bit dizzy." Hawkeye walked up to him and put his hand on Trapper's forehead.

"Geez, you're burning up, you're so hot we could fry eggs on you're forehead." 

"I'm fine." Trapper said.

"Yeah if you definition of fine is having a temperature high enough to end the ice age." Hawkeye retorted, "Come on, your going for a nice long nap with the rest of the sickies here."

  
  


****

  
  


After taking Trapper to the building reserved for those with the flu, Hawkeye scrubbed up and went into the OR where there was a small line up of shrapnel collecting soldiers.

"Scalpel," Hawkeye said, The nurse handed it to him, "Jeez, there's enough metal in this kid to make a new set of sporks."

"That's because there's a war going on Pierce!" Frank snapped.

"Really Frank? Well someone should have told me, maybe I would have washed my hands then."

"Oh har har." Frank retorted, "Just concentrate on your patient."

"Yes mother."

Henry sighed, "Hey Ginger, can you stitch this guy up?"

"Sure thing." The nurse replied.

"Henry what's wrong?" Hawkeye asked, "Suction."

"I think I just got hit with the flu which seems to be hitting everyone in this here camp now that it's hit me..."

"Henry go lay down," Hawkeye said, "Your babbling." Henry only nodded and left the OR, he had become pale and sweaty.

"Well now that the colonel is gone I'm in charge," Frank said, "Thing's are going to change around here."

Hawkeye sighed, "You say that every time Henry is gone or is sick, Frank. Nothing ever changes except hot lips becomes more tolerant for the rest of us."

Frank scowled at Hawkeye, "I'm serious this time, now we can get some real work done around here..." Frank stopped suddenly.

"Frank? What is it?" Margaret asked.

"Suddenly I don't feel so good."

"Oh no," Hawkeye moaned, "Not you too."

"I'll be fine!:" Frank said as he straightened up slightly, "Don't worry about me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Hawkeye muttered, "Frank, go lay down, Margaret can you finish up for him?"

"Yes, Frank, Pierce is right, go lay down."

"Oh, alright Margaret." Frank said, he quickly left the room, to be sick, Hawkeye suspected.

Suddenly hit him, he was all alone... again. Hawkeye sighed, he must have some kind of immunity that makes him that last one to catch these flu's.


	21. Dear Dad

"How you doing Trap?" Hawkeye knelt beside his friends cot, "You look like hell."

"Well I'm not sure if I look like hell," Trapper said, "but I'm hot enough to have a hell inside of me." Hawkeye took out a thermometer an put it in Trapper's mouth.

"Don't talk." He said, after a minutes he took out the thermometer, "And you said you were feeling better?"

"Yeah," Trapper said, "Now you're a blurry blob."

"And that's better?"

"Before you were three blurry blobs."

"Well it must be an improvement, but I'm still not letting you get up." Hawkeye said.

"Fair enough," Trapper said before he rolled over and fell to sleep.

Hawkeye laughed and walked over to Henry's cot, "well, well," He said, "Our benevolent leader..."

"Can it Pierce, " Henry said weakly, "I'm not in the mood for your sarcasm." Hawkeye grinned and looked at Henry's chart.

"Well your temperatures staying relatively low," He said, "Hopefully it will stay that way. Can you eat anything?"

"Do you want to find out?"

"Not really."

"Then lets say no."

Hawkeye sighed and turned to the nurse, "Keep him on his I.V's and start him on liquids. If he can't hold that down then come and tell me."

"Yes doctor." The nurse replied, Hawkeye moved down the row, passed Frank until he reached Sara.

"Hey kiddo," Hawkeye said as he knelt down beside her, "How you holding up?"

Sara sat up weakly, "I'm doing a bit better now, there's only one of you, and I can hold down the food their giving to me."

"That makes one of us." Hawkeye said, "You're looking better, that's for sure."

"Your going to start rambling if your not careful," Sara said, "What's on your mind?" Hawkeye sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Ferret Face and Hot Lips are making problems for Henry, he might have to send you back still." Sara sat up suddenly, partly in shock, Hawkeye could see the fear and pain etched on to her face.

"I'm not going back."

"Try telling that to Hot Lips Houlihan." Hawkeye said, "She's convinced that something will happen to you if you stay here."

"Well of course something will happen, " Sara said, "It would be pretty dull if nothing happened."

"Something bad." Hawkeye said.

"Oh." Sara thought for a moment, "Well what if I could get Major Houlihan to leave Henry alone?"

"You get her to not write that letter to the General and I get Frank to not write a letter either and we're home free." Hawkeye said, "But Margaret is pretty stubborn..."

"So am I..." Sara smiled wickedly.

"I'm perfectly aware of that." Hawkeye replied, "Do you think your well enough to get back in the game?"

"Um, I think so," Sara said, "Are they expecting any more casualties?" Hawkeye shook his head, "No thank god, it's been so busy lately and with Henry, Trapper and Frank out it triples my work."

"How long was your last shift?"

"17 hours," Hawkeye replied.

"17 hours?" Sara said, "Geez, go get some sleep, no wonder you look like hell." Hawkeye grinned childishly and stood up, "I'll try to talk to Frank when he's feeling better." He promised, "Get better okay?"

Sara nodded, "Alright, go get some sleep."

Hawkeye walked out of the small building and made his way slowly back to the swamp, he felt himself dragging his feet as he went. 

"'Scuse me sir," Radar said, he walked past Hawkeye pushing a wheelchair, quickly Hawkeye sat down in the chair and Radar stopped pushing.

"To my hotel good man, if you make it there in five minutes there will be height in it for you."

"Hey!" Radar said, "That's not funny." But he pushed Hawkeye to The Swamp anyways. When he was there, Hawkeye went inside and poured himself a drink, downing it in one gulp. He pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and began to write a letter to his dad.

  
  


Dear dad,

  
  


The war still rages on, here it's closer than ever. During the night, if it's really quiet, you can hear the shells being blown up in the distance... not that its comforting. The flu has struck us hard once again, Henry Blake, Frank Burns and Trapper are all out of the game and I'm the only capable surgeon here. But that's the least of my worries.

Remember the girl i told you about? Sara Howard, well Henry is letting her stay here.. For now, Major Houlihan and Burns are giving him a rough time about everything, and With Sara being here... well let's just say things aren't looking up. Henry says we'll have to send her home if The two Major's send complaint letters to the Generals, of course no one wants to see her go. She's added some life to the camp, she's makes everyone feel welcome in this world. Everyone has grown quite fond of her... Now here's the dilemma, if she goes back to the US, her god parents will be her guardians. They beat her, leave her locked in her room, she can't live in conditions like that. If she has to go back to the US I'm going to request that she be sent to Crabapple Cove, if she is; will you look after her until I get back? 

She's a fine hand in surgery, sending her back to her god parents is murder. I await your reply, thank sis for the tent.

  
  


Your loving son,

Hawkeye.

  
  



	22. Colonel Flagg

The flu epidemic passed quickly after Sara and Hawkeye had their conversation, neither of them had talked to Frank or Margaret about ending those letters... Then He came. Colonel Sam Flagg, the minute he set foot back into the 4077th, everyone knew that it would be near impossible to make him leave again.

"I don't get it," Sara said one day as she lay on her cot in the Swamp, flipping through a magazine, "What's wrong with Colonel Flagg?"

"The question is," Hawkeye said, "What's not wrong with him?"

"He's always convinced that someone is a communist supervisor." Trapper said as he poured himself a drink, "Wonder who he's after now..."

"Why do I have the strangest suspicion that Ferret Face has something to do with this?" Hawkeye muttered, Sara chuckled and sat up on her cot.

"Really? You think we should confirm that?" She asked.

Hawkeye and Trapper stared at her, and then each other, "I know that look in your eyes," Hawkeye said, "You're plotting something evil."

"Perhaps," The girl replied, "But I doubt it will go anywhere, my plots usually don't get passed stage one."

"To the post op!" Trapper said as he finished his drink, "let's give Frank a little talking to." The terrible trio walked, almost ran, from the Swamp to the post-op ward. As soon as they entered through the doors they could see Ferret Face Burns checking a patients vital signs. His eyes were closed as he listened in a stethoscope to the patients heart beat. Hawkeye motioned for them to be quiet as he carefully picked up the end of the stethoscope.

"Hello Frank!" He practically yelled into it, the malpractising doctor jumped slightly and glared at him.

"Hiya Frank." Trapper said.

"Hi Frank." Sara said.

"Oh you'd all like that wouldn't you?" He said, "What do you want?" he demanded angrily, "I've got patients to tend to."

"Yes you wouldn't want to get behind on your malpractice now would you?" Trapper said.

"Say Frank, did you know that Colonel Flagg is here?" Hawkeye asked rather innocently.

Frank looked up, "You don't say, wonder what he wants..."

"Like you don't know," Trapper says, "Bet you and Hot Lips had something to do with it don't you?"

"I don't know what your talking about," Frank retorted, "I have nothing to do with..."

"Just remember Frank," Sara said, "We know which cot is yours." Frank eyes opened wide and he stared at the trio with his mouth hanging open, casually they walked from the post op back to the Swamp.

"Wait," Hawkeye stood by the Swamp's door, not ready to go in, "What's the chance that he's waiting in there now?"

"I'd say 89 percent chance." Trapper said.

"From what you've told me I'll say he definitely is in there," Sara said.

"Care to place a bet on that?" Trapper asked.

"You're on." She replied, "Five dollars."

"Fair enough."

Hawkeye smiled at his friends and opened the Swamp door. Low and behold, Colonel Flagg sat on Hawkeye's cot, he's squinting eyes shifted and rested on Sara who was hiding slightly behind Hawkeye.

"Well, well, well we meet again Pierce and McIntyre. And I can see this time your brought a partner in crime."

Hawkeye and Trapper looked around, "Partner in crime?" Hawkeye began, "Who?"

'That little girl that's standing behind you." Flagg replied, Hawkeye looked down at Sara.

"I'm a very threatening thirteen year old." She replied.

"Clearly," Trapper replied, "You won't get away with your sympathy for long!"

Flagg raised an eyebrow and glared slightly at the girl, "Sympathizer?" 

Sara lightly nudged Trapper in the ribs with her elbow, "Shh, you'll give me away."

"Can we help you with something Colonel Flagg?" Hawkeye asked, "Information? Files? Lobotomy?"

"Information..." Flagg replied, "About a certain new member of the 4077th..."

"Really?" Hawkeye asked, suddenly he knew what this was about, "And who would that be?"

Flagg took out a notepad and flipped through a few pages, "A one Sara Howard, you know her?"

They all exchanged glances, "We might have met her at one point in time," Trapper said, "So what?"

"So," Flagg said, "General Clayton isn't to happy about keeping her here, he wants me to try to find out anything i can about her that get her sent somewhere else."

"Well good luck," Hawkeye said, "Now why don't you go bother one of the communists?"

"Communists?" Flagg asked, his ears perked up, "In this camp?"

"Oh sure," Trapper said with the utmost sarcasm, "They're everywhere, want us to point them out?"

"No," Flagg said, "It's my job, I'll find them myself."

"Suit yourself." Hawkeye said, Flagg walked out of the Swamp and no one said a word for several minutes.

"Is he insane?" Sara asked.

"I think so," Hawkeye said, "At least he'll leave you alone for a while."

"Yeah," Sara muttered, "How long does he usually stay?"

"Until he get's what he wants."

"Can't we just tell him all he wants to know?"

"We could," Trapper said, "But that would be to easy, now I suggest we do something that involves spam..."


	23. Found You

Three weeks later, it was an average rainy day in the OR. Heavy allied casualties had been brought in four hours ago, it was the night shift. 

"4-O silk suture," Hawkeye said, Sara handed it to him, "Anyone know what Flagg has been up too in the last little while?"

"Colonel Flagg?" Henry said, "He told me he was going by Sir Franklin Meshon while he was here... Something about him being a latrine engineer."

Sara snickered, "He's quite mad isn't he?"

"Very," Trapper replied, "Makes you wonder if the CIA took him on because he was good or because he was annoying them. Clamp."

Thunder crackled in the air and the lights flickered, everyone in the room moaned slightly.

"That generator better not go out on us," Henry said, "HQ said we could expect heavy casualties in the next 72 hours."

"Great," Hawkeye said, "I'm so glad I was dragged away from my nice warm home to cold, rainy Korea so I could fix future led weights..."

"Aren't we all?" Henry said, "Alright Margaret, finish up here, I need food..." Suddenly the doors to the OR burst open and Colonel Flagg entered, waving a piece of paper proudly.

"Haha, Thought you could hide from me did you?" He stood in front of Sara and gave her his squinty glare.

"Who me?" She asked innocently.

"Radar!" Henry yelled, "Get the insane Colonel out of here...now!"

"Yes you!" Flagg said, "You're Sara Howard!"

Sara rolled her eyes, "I'd clap but I have my hands full of insides."

"You have to come with me!" Flagg said sternly, "You can't be here."

"I'll trade her," Hawkeye said, "She can stay here and I can go home."

"She's not going home, She's going to an orphanage!" Flagg said, "And she has to come with me now!"

"Oh no," Sara said, "Pigs will fly, hell will freeze over and you will the leave the 4077th before I go to an orphanage."

The Colonel leaned over and stared at her, "You have to come," He said, "You have no choice."

"I'm clearly not coming with you, you're an insane CIA whacko who should be locked up in a very white and soft room."

"Well there you go," Trapper said, "She's clearly not going."

"I say she is." Flagg said, "And she's coming now."

"Listen buddy," Sara said, "My hands are currently holding this man's stomach together, If I go now there will be blood everywhere and one hell of a mess to clean up. I'm not going."

Flagg made a step towards Sara, his hand was going for his gun holster.

"Hey!" Henry said, "We'll have none of that, until she's finished in the OR, Sara is not going anywhere."

"And if you try to remove her," Hawkeye said, "You'll have to be prepared to hold off several sharp operating targets which will all be aimed directly as you."

"And we won't fix you." Trapper added.

Flagg glared at the young girl, "Fine, I'll wait. But I'm not leaving here without you." Flagg stormed from the OR, fuming over what had happened.

"Now what do I do?" Sara asked.

  
  


"Hand me a metz and let me plot." Hawkeye said, his eyes were twinkling.


	24. The pharmacy

Fourteen more hours in the OR proved how gruesome war really was, Trapper, Hawkeye, Sara and Henry were heading back to the Swamp to face Colonel Flagg.

"So what are we going to do?" Sara asked as she dodged a muddy puddle, "Please tell me your not sending me back with that mad man."

"No chance," Henry said, "Flagg has some serious problems, no chance your going back."

"That's a relief," She said, "So what do we do then?"

Hawkeye grinned and held up a small pill.

"Pierce, that's not what I think it might be is it?" Henry asked, "Because if it is what I think it is then it might be best if I pretended that I had no idea that you had what I think you might have."

Hawkeye sighed, "All we have to do is put this in his drink, he'll fall asleep like a baby and when he wakes up we begin."

"Begin what?" Sara asked.

"You'll see." Hawkeye said, he smiled evilly.

They entered the Swamp, Flagg was sitting on the chair next to Sara's cot glaring and the small group.

"It's about time you showed up," He said, "Back your bags Howard, you're coming with me."

The was an odd silence before Sara poked Hawkeye and said, "I'm confused, should I laugh hysterically, say something sarcastic or just stand here."

"Maybe if we ignore it, it will go away." Trapper suggested as they continue to stand in front of the Colonel.

"I'll bet if we had a bright light he would get attracted to it..." Hawkeye said.

"Oh yeah then we just need a giant fly swatter!" Sara said.

"Listen Colonel," Henry said, "Maybe we can discuss Sara's future over a drink?"

Flagg glared at him, "I don't drink while I'm on duty,"

"Well then maybe we can hook you up to an IV and you can drink that way." Trapper suggested. Hawkeye walked over to the still and poured out five drinks, he gingerly added the small pill to the first drink and stirred it until it dissolved.

"Go on," Hawkeye urged, "After all the hard work you've done you deserve it." Flagg glared at him slightly before sipping his drink

"I'm not going," Sara repeated, "And unless you plan on using force on me, which I might add would be a bad move on your part, I will never leave. Especially with you."

Flagg glared at you, "The front is no place for a child."

"Well excuse me, I must go tell all those Korean children on the other side to step out of the way of the tanks." The girl said sarcastically.

"Your very close to the edge young lady," Flagg warned, "Don't push your luck."

Trapper nudged Hawkeye, "He swallowed half a drug store, when's it going to kick in?"

Hawkeye shrugged, "How should know, any normal person would have passed out by now."

"That explains it," Trapper said, "He's far from normal."

"Listen young lady," Flagg started to say, "You're coming with..." He didn't have a chance to finish what he was saying, the Colonel passed out.

"Took him long enough," Sara muttered, "Now what?"

"Now we wait," Hawkeye said.


	25. What happened the night before

Note~ It's been a while so yes, its time for (You guessed it!) A DISCLAIMER (yeah!) Despite wishing and praying every night to the heaven's, I don't own M*A*S*H, the only thing i can take claim for is the character of Sara, she's the voice in my head :o)

  
  
  
  


Colonel Flagg had a hang over that he wouldn't wish on anyone, save Hawkeye or Trapper. His head felt like it weighed roughly three times more than it should, what had they given him? He groaned and sat up slightly, he was laying in the chair he had been in before. Radar flung the Swamp door open and stomped in, (Orders of Hawkeye and Trapper)

"Good Afternoon Colonel!" Radar shouted happily, "How are you today?" Flagg groaned and rubbed his hangover head.

"What do you want corporal?"

"Captain's Pierce and McIntyre wanted to congratulate you on such a wonderful party yesterday, they also wanted me to tell you that they had no idea."

"No idea? No idea about what?"

"I don't know," Radar said, "If I had an idea then I would probably tell you why they had no idea about something that you did that gave them the idea in the first place."

"Well that would be ideal..." Flagg muttered, "Where are they?"

"The mess tent," Radar said, "You're all the camp is talking about."

"But what did I do?"

"You made me promise not to say sir," Radar said, "You said it was top CIA info."

"Well you have to break that promise" Flagg replied.

"But I can't!" Radar exclaimed, "If I promised not to tell your promised which you made me promise that I wouldn't tell that I promised then I would have to break my promise... and I never break my promise."

Flagg stood up, "Just take me to see Colonel Blake!"

"Yes sir!" Radar and Flagg walked from the Swamp to Henry's office.

Radar turned to Flagg, "Wait here sir." He walked into Henry's office where the Colonel was busy tying a fishing fly.

"Sir!" Henry jumped and grabbed the fly, he groaned and looked up.

"What is it Radar?"

"Colonel Flagg want's to see you sir!"

Henry sighed, "Here we go," He muttered, "Tell Pierce, McIntyre and Sara that I want to see..."

"Captain's Pierce and McIntyre are on there way, Sara's with them."

"Radar?"

"Yes sir, I'll try to stop doing that sir."

"Do you always have to rea-."

"No sir I don't always have to read your mind but it's just hard to avoid."

Henry sighed, "Alright, show Colonel Flagg in."

"Yes sir," Radar walked over to the doors and pushed through one side, "This way si-."

Colonel Flagg pushed through the other side and stormed into Henry's office.

"Colonel Blake! I want Pierce and McIntyre court marshalled!"

"Well after that performance last night I'm surprised the nurses didn't have the MP's come after you..." Henry muttered as he adjusted the fly, "That was some party, I had no idea."

"No idea about what?" Flagg asked.

"Oh no," Henry said, "You made me promise not to tell and-."

"Forget it sir," Radar said, "It's been done, And the Captains are here."

Hawkeye, Trapper and Sara walked into Henry's office and sat down.

"Oh it's the great party man himself," Sara said as she leaned back in the chair, "Hope it didn't hurt too much when Hawkeye smacked you?"

Colonel glared at Sara, "He hit me?"

"Well it's your own fault for coming on to me," Trapper said, "I'm a happily married man."

"I thought that was only an ugly rumour started by your wife?" Hawkeye said.

"It was."

"So your not married?" Colonel Flagg asked.

"I am," Trapper replied, "Just not happily."

Colonel Flagg glared at Hawkeye and Trapper, "What happened last night?"

"Oh no," Hawkeye said, "That's between you and the rest of the camp."

"South Korea," Sara put in.

"You and the rest of South Korea," Hawkeye said.

"Try all Korea, north and south." Trapper told him.

"Don't forget North America!" Henry said.

"I must admit," Sara said, "It was a bit rude to just go out and propose to General Clayton, really he's a married man."

"What?" Flagg asked, "Oh god please tell me..."

"Klinger would have said yes," Sara said, "he was a bit offended that you didn't ask him."

Then Radar entered the office and held out Flagg's jacket, "Sir, I got out the ketchup stains and the perfume but the lipstick and blush won't come out. You'll have to get it dry cleaned."

"Give me that," Flagg snatched back his jacket and looked around nervously, "So what did the general say?"

"Well," Trapper began, "Something about you really screwing it up this time and that you had to go back to Seoul right away."

"We were going to wake you up but you seemed to be having a good dream about a puppy." Sara said, "Or something like that."

Flagg sighed and looked around, "What happened last night is between all of you and me only..."

"If only he could remember it," Hawkeye whispered to Trapper.

"I'm going back to Seoul, I'll be back for you." He said to Sara.

"Im sure you won't" She replied to him. Flagg grumbled something rude and stormed from Henry's office.

"Well, One down." Hawkeye said, "Two to g-."

Attention all personnel, Incoming wounded, I repeat Incoming wounded. Both shifts please report to OR, it's gonna be a doozey folks, tonight's movie has been cancelled.


	26. Plea to Margaret

~Authors note, a big thing is going to happen within maybe three or four chapters, so keep reading.... maw ha ha

  
  
  
  


Sara gulped and knocked on Margaret's door.

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's Sara Major, may I talked to you?"

Margaret open her door, "Come on it." She said, "What can I do for you?"

Sara stepped inside the tent and sighed, "I need to ask you not to send that complaint note off to the general."

Margaret frowned, "Sara, you-."

"Please major," the young girl said, "If you send if off to the general he's going to send me back to my godparents or to an orphanage and either of those are the last place I want to be."

"Sara," Margaret began sternly, "We are three miles from the front, having you here is the most dangerous and stupid thing that Henry Blake has ever done. If you stay here you risk your life."

"And if I go home?" Sara asked, "What about then?"

Margaret sighed, "I'm sorry but I have to send that letter..."

"But putting Colonel Blake into this," Sara protested, "That's unfair, he's just tying to make everyone happy!"

"Well is doesn't make Major Burns or myself very happy," Margaret said, "Don't we matter?"

"Of course you do," Sara said, "But the rest of the camp would rather...."

"The rest of the camp is under the illusions that your actually helping here!" Margaret snapped.

"So you think I'm not helping?" Sara asked, "I'm only in the way? Well that's fine, I'll just go home and get buried six feet under then I won't be in anyone's way. That will probably won't be best for everyone but at least you and Ferret Face will be happy."

"Thats-."

"Then," Sara continued, "You can get someone to replace henry, it doesn't matter if everyone else in the camp likes him as long as you and Major Burns are happy."

"Sara, that's not what I mean." Margaret protested.

"Major please try to see this from my side. If I go home I get beaten and starved. If I stay here I have a better chance, I might actually live."

Margaret sighed, "I'll talk to Frank, but I'm not guaranteeing anything." The major smiled, "You have brought a lot of life to this place, please try to understand I only want what's best for you."

"Then let me stay," Sara said, "And don't get rid of Colonel Blake, he's a good man, really."

"I know," Margaret said, "I'll talk to Major Burns."

"Thank you," Sara said, "You won't regret it."


	27. she needs a family

Hawkeye lay on his cot and stared up at the top of the tent. Trapper lay on his cot flipping through his newest edition of dirty magazines. The silence was irritating Trapper, he wasn't use to his bunk mate being so quiet.

"Alright Hawk," Trapper said eventually, "What's bugging you?"

"Meh, nothing really."

"Anyone knows that saying 'nothing' means that there is something that's bugging you."

"I said it's nothing!" Hawkeye snapped.

"Phh yeah right," Trapper said, "So, you wanna booby trap Hot lips's tent?"

"No."

"Oookay, you want to go bug Henry?"

"No," Hawkeye replied.

"You want to go bug Frank?"

"No."

"You want to go to the mess tent?

"No."

"You want to play poker?"

"No."

"You want to go home?"

"No... I mean yes." Hawkeye said

Trapper sighed and looked back at his magazine, but now he could concentrate. He sat up and looked over at Hawkeye.

"Do I have to beat it out of you?"

"Go away Trapper," Hawkeye muttered, "I'm not in the mood."

"Oh come on Hawk, tell uncle Trapper what's bothering you."

Hawkeye sat up and glared at Trapper, "Fine, how hard is it to adopt?"

"Well," Trapper said, "When I was going to adopt Kim... wait... adoption? Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Hawkeye said, "Just wondering."

Trapper stared at him then laughed, "Bring out the cigars, Hawkeye's gonna be a dad!"

"Shuddup Trapper" Hawkeye said, "I'm still thinking about it."

"What's there to think about?" Trapper asked, "Adopting's a great thing, so who's the lucky kid?

"Er..."

Trappers jaw dropped, "Wait, you mean..." He bent in closer, "Sara?"

"Yeah," Hawkeye said, "Why not? She's got no where to go to, besides if no one does then she'll have to go to a stupid orphanage and you can just tell she's the kind of kid that would hate that."

"Well what are you waiting for then?" Trapper asked, "What's the hold up?"

"Nothing," Hawkeye replied, "I've got the forms, I just need to ask her, Im not sure how to though."

"Well why don't you just leave them on her cot, then when she sees them she can either sign them or not."

"Isn't that a bit blunt?" Hawkeye asked.

"Sure but it works, then you don't half to talk about." Trapper replied.

"But wont it make the situation a bit strange if she says no?"

"Sure," Trapper said, "But you'll never know if you don't try." Trapper smiled, "Go for it Hawk, she need's a family."

And he did.

  
  


Author's note~ No that wasn't the "big thing" just wait ;)


	28. The right choice

Sara didn't know what to do. When she went back to the Swamp that night Hawkeye and Trapper weren't there, probably at the officers club she had decided. There was that package, just sitting on her cot, that simple brown envelope. Without thinking she had opened it and those papers had fallen out, those papers that would change her life.

She had read over them, not understanding at first until.... she saw Hawkeye's signature at the bottom and a spot for her to sign. A spot for her to get a new family. Sara didn't know what to do, she could have another family but at the same time it would change everything... It would change her life.

But if she didn't sign... She would have to go back to her godparents. As if the scars weren't enough to remind her of what waited there. What to do...

Sara began pacing across the swamp, the papers clutched in her hand, what to do, what to do...

Frank came in, Sara looked up, sighed and looked back at the floor. There goes her concentration.

"What? No snide comments?" Frank asked.

"Nope" Sara said simply, "Too much on my mind."

Frank snorted, "Really? What could possibly be on YOUR mind?"

"Oh I don't know," Sara said, "My fate, how long this war is going to last, global warming, these adoption papers..."

"Oh," Frank said, "Wait, what?"

"Frank."

"Yes?"

"Please go away."

Frank shrugged and left the swamp and headed in the general direction of Margaret's tent. Sara rolled her eyes and looked back at the papers, What was she going to do? There was no one here she could talk to about it. 

"Attention, will Captain Pierce report to Colonel Henry Blake's office at once. Hawkeye see Henry at once. Also against the wishes of everyone in the camp, Major Frank Burns is officer of the day tomorrow. Colonel Henry Blake has given everyone the day off."

Sara chuckled and went back to her pacing, suddenly the door to the Swamp opened, Hawkeye and Trapper slunk in. Hawkeye didn't say anything but began shoving clothing and such things into his bag.

"Where ya going?" Sara asked as she crammed the document under her pillow.

"Seoul," Hawkeye said, not meeting her eyes, "Henry gave me a weekend pass, Father Mulcahy's coming along as well." The young girl gave Trapper a quizzical stare, clearly Hawkeye wasn't going to explain why.

"He's got a conference in Seoul." Trapper said.

"Ooh," She replied. Hawkeye finished packing and slung his bag across his shoulder.

"Alright, I'm ready to go." He said.

"Comeon," Trapper replied, "I'll buy you a goodbye drink while we finish for father Mulcahy to pack."

Ten minutes later Sara took a deep breath and knocked on the door of the father's tent.

"Come in," Father Mulcahy said. Sara entered and smiled wearily, "Ah Sara please sit down, I'm just finishing packing."

"I can't stay Father," Sara said, "Could... could you give this to Hawkeye on... Sunday maybe?" She handed him the brown envelope.

"Of course," Father Mulcahy said, "But...did.."

"We'll see Father," Sara said, "We'll see."

  
  


Ten minutes later Hawkeye and Father Mulcahy were on their way to Seoul, -I made the right choice- Sara thought -I know I did-


	29. In the dark of the night

~Your all going to hate me after this.

  
  


Sara sat on her bunk, night had come, had she made the right choice? Yes she decided firmly, she had. Trapper sat across from her on his bunk, the silence was eerie, he knew he had to say something but what.

"You... you wanna talk about it?" He asked quietly.

"No," Sara said, "No thanks, just... I made the right choice, didn't I?"

Trapper smiled, "I'm sure you did. What ever you did do is right."

"But, what if-?"

"No 'what if's" Trapper said, "It will work out, no matter what you wrote down on those papers."

Sara smiled weakly, "Thanks Trapper."

"No problem Kiddo, now get some sleep, doctors orders."

  
  
  
  


Radar had been hearing helicopters all day, in and out of his senses. He kept going to tell Henry but he kept getting distracted. Now it was almost midnight, the choppers were getting closer, but now everyone heard them.

"Trapper?" Sara said as she sat up on the edge of her bed, "You hear that?"

"Yeah," Trapper replied, "I hear em'."

"They're...they're not allies are they?"

"No," Trapper said bluntly, "I don't think they are."

Who thought a world could be so easily ripped apart, one day is perfect and a few hours later it faces destruction of all kind. Shouts came up from the camp, the helicopters landed. Gunfire erupted from every direction, Sara was frozen to the spot. Suddenly the door to the Swamp was kicked open, five North Korean soldiers stood in the door way, rifles pointed at Sara and Trapper. Frank was over in Margaret's tent.

The soldiers spoke something in Korean, "What do they want?" Trapper asked.

"They..." Sara swallowed, "They want me to come with them."

"I thought you didn't know any Korean..."

"I bluffed."

Trapper would never forget those simple words, 'I bluffed.' The soldiers ran forward and grabbed Sara around the waist, dragging her to her feet.

"Trapper!" She screamed.

The doctor jumped to his feet but promptly sat down when two rifles were aimed at his face, the remaining soldiers dragged Sara from the tent, one covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming, the other hit her over the back of the head, rendering her unconscious.

Trapper couldn't do anything to stop it.

And just like that they were gone, the enemy left as quickly as they had come, their goal: To destroy a M*A*S*H camp and stop them from helping any more of their allies. They had succeeded.

The camp was destroyed.

Many were wounded.

Sara was gone.

Trapper had failed Hawkeye.


	30. Fate

~Eep your all scary when your angry :o( 

  
  


"General we were just attacked." Henry persisted on the phone as Trapper raced in to his office, "No.. No one is dead but we have some seriously wounded people here..."

"Henry!" Trapper yelled as he entered the office.

"Not now Trapper, I'm trying to get help..."

"Henry they took Sara..." Trapper sighed, "She's gone..."

Henry dropped the phone, his mouth hung open. Trapper could hear General Hammond on the other end shouting into the receiver.

"She's gone?"

Trapper nodded grimly, Henry sighed and picked up the phone once more.

"General, I was wrong they took Sara P-" He was about to say 'Pierce' but he quickly corrected himself, "Howard, they took Sara Howard." Henry covered his end of the phone and looked at Trapper, "Go to the OR and scrub up," He went back to the phone, "yes sir..."

Trapper suddenly realized how hard this was going to hit Hawkeye, whether she signed the papers or not... Hawkeye was going to be more upset than beyond words.

He sighed as he walked towards the Pre-Op, Father Mulcahy and Hawkeye would be back tomorrow, Trapper suddenly dreaded the morning.

  
  


Trapper was in surgery with Henry and Frank for 14 hours, he didn't say anything, no snide marks no singing... nothing ordinary. Time again Frank made his crude comments about Trapper but he simply brushed them off and kept working madly like a robot. But his spirit wasn't in the work... his mind was on Sara, and Hawkeye, two of his closest friends since he came to the blasted war and he had failed both of them...

  
  


In the morning...

  
  


"What is it?" Hawkeye accepted the brown paper envelope from father Mulcahy has he threw his bag into the army jeep.

"Sara asked me to give it to you," the priest replied, "She said I should give it to you today and not a moment sooner." Hawkeye stared at him for a moment, barely breathing. His heart beat grew faster, his fate, his soul lay on the papers in the envelope. Part of him didn't want to open it, part of him just wanted to save them and race back to camp. It really didn't matter what they said, he had taken a risk and he would accept the consequences no matter what.

The other half.... the more reasonable part of him told him to open the envelope and read what it said.

But since when was he a man a reason? Booze and girl's were his way of life. 

-What made me think I'd be a good father?- Hawkeye thought to myself, -I'm not a family guy, I can't settle down. I'm not the sort of person that should be raising a young girl, what was I thinking?-

-You were trying to save her,- the other part of him said, -it doesn't matter how you act as long as she's saved.-

-open it-

-open it-

He did.

Hawkeye carefully pulled away at top of the package and pulled out the single sheet of paper. Then he looked up and stared off into the distance.

"What is it?" Father Mulcahy asked.

"I'm a father." Hawkeye replied.


	31. What war is worth

~I did some checking and you don't have to be married to adopt, least not where I live, and if you have to be married in the US well tough luck, Im making an exception to the rules.

  
  


They had been driving all day, only now did the army jeep pull into the 4077th compound. Hawkeye had been smiling madly all the way back from Seoul. Hawkeye jumped from the army jeep, trying to decide what to do first, go check in with Henry or go find Sara, he didn't have to do either, Trapper was headed towards the jeep.

"Trap!" He ran forward, "You wouldn't believe it!"

"Hawkeye..." Trapper said quietly.

"Trap I'm a father!"

"Hawkeye stop." Trapper said sternly.

"Why, What is it?"

"Go see Henry," was all Trapper could manage, the rest of the words wouldn't come out.

"Why?" Hawkeye asked, "Trapper don't you understand The papers are signed! Im a father..."

"Yeah well have your cigar after okay? Go see Henry now." 

Hawkeye couldn't understand why Trapper was acting so cold and unfeeling. He looked tired, like he'd been working at the operating table for hours but the camp seemed so quiet and empty... almost too quiet. Hawkeye made his way to Henry's officer, Where was Radar? He wasn't sorting papers or guarding Henry's door like a faithful dog which he did so often, Where was anyone?

Hawkeye pushed through the door into Henry's office, "Heya Henry," Hawkeye said Cheerfully, "I'm back!"

Henry looked just as tired as Trapper, he didn't scowl at Hawkeye like always, instead his face was etched with pain and regret.

"Pierce," Henry said quietly, "Sit down, pour yourself a drink." Hawkeye never said no to the offer of free liquor so he poured his drink and sat down in front of Henry's desk.

"You'll never believe it Henry," Hawkeye said, hardly keeping still, "I'm a father, I've adopted Sara... Where is she?

Henry sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Hawkeye, we don't know..."

"What?"

"The camp was attacked two nights ago...North Koreans, They took Sara with them and left... just like that..."

"But..." Hawkeye said hoarsely, "Have they found.... do you know..."

Henry shook his head, "We have no idea where she is... General Clayton has a troop near the front looking for her but..." He sighed, "Hawkeye it doesn't look good, We think they were only after her, they could do anything to her..."

Hawkeye didn't say anything, his world had shattered before his very eyes, for the first time in his life he was actually happy, for that short time he felt like this damn war had been worth something, but not anymore...

Hawkeye stood up, "Are there any wounded?"

"Only a few in post op, Frank and McIntyre have taken care of them. Listen Pierce, go back to the Swamp, or go get a drink. Don't worry everything will turn out fine I'm sure."

"Yeah..." Hawkeye managed to say, "Fine..."


	32. Bring me home

Three weeks passed by slowly for Hawkeye, there were no jokes in the OR and no drinks after shifts. Henry considered calling Doctor Sydney Freedman to help Hawkeye out of his solitude but decided against it, Hawkeye needed to morn in his own time and in his own way. Everyone had too.

The chances of her coming back were slim to none.

Frank went easier on Hawkeye, no more crude jokes about his martini's or living habits, no more practical jokes and no more sarcastic comments during surgery. Trapper was less willing to leave Hawkeye in peace, he was convinced Hawkeye needed to start drinking again but his efforts were less than successful.

Hawkeye had been home one week, after a 17 hour shift at post op he went back to the Swamp and lay down on his cot, just to think. Trapper came in shortly after and sat down on the edge of his cot.

"Want a drink Hawkeye?"

"No thanks."

Trapper sighed and rubbed his eyes , Hawkeye was being stubborn, "Come on Hawk, have a drink, it'll help you relax."

"Leave me alone Trap, I'm really not in the mood..."

"Pierce, moping about isn't going to help anything," Frank said from the other side of the tent, "She's not going to come back just because you lay around pitying yourself."

"Lay off Frank," Trapper said, "Your not helping." Frank merely shrugged and continued shaving in front of the mirror, "Come on Hawkeye, you can't stay like this forever, Sara wouldn't have wanted it..."

'Attention all personnel, incoming wounded front the front. Lots of casualties folks, It's going to be a long night, both shifts report to the OR at once!'

"We just got off of 17 hours of duty!" Hawkeye protested, "stupid war..."

"You rest Hawk," Trapper said quietly, "Frank and I can handle it, get some sleep and come once your rested..."

Hawkeye jumped to his feet, "No way!" He protested, "I pull my own around here..."

"McIntyre is right, Pierce," Frank said, "You need to get some rest, we can handle it."

Hawkeye knew they were right, when Frank Burns starts caring they have to be right.

"Fine," Hawkeye said, "But if you need a hand..."

"Yeah, yeah we'll come and get you." Trapper said, "Relax Hawkeye, It'll be fine."

Trapper and Frank left the Swamp and made their way over to the pre op, Frank walked ahead at a brisk pace while Trapper ambled behind thinking.

I bluffed, Sara's last words to him, he couldn't forget. It had to be so hard on Hawkeye, for the first time in his life he knew what it was like to have someone to care for only to have that feeling ripped away from him a day later.

Trapper entered the post op, scrubbed up, put on his white robes and began work on the first patient.

"How's Pierce doing?" Henry asked from across the room.

"Not so good, Clamp please Ginger," Trapper said, Ginger handed him a clamp, "He's pretty quiet, doesn't drink, doesn't want to play poker. Heck he doesn't even want to booby trap your tent Hot Lips."

Margaret scowled at him but her eyes twinkled with laughter.

"Well then something really must be wrong," Henry said, "Think it warrents a visit from Sydney?"

"I'm not sure," Trapper said, "Suction, I think with time he probably could get over it but it'll be a long hull."

Radar's head popped around the curtain, "Sir?"

"What is it Radar?" Henry asked.

"Um, You might want to get in here, you and Captain McIntyre."

"WHY Radar?"

"They've brought in Sara, sir. She's losing blood fast, pulse is weak..."

"Get Pierce, now!"


	33. Save me

Author's note~ I just wanted to say how much I appreciate all your reviews! Updates will be coming sooner now, school's all sorted out, hopefully i won't miss two months like I did last year!

  
  


"HAWKEYE!"

"Go away Radar..."

"Hawkeye you have to come..."

"I'm going to count to three...."

"Hawkeye it's really important...."

"And by the time I get to two..."

"Wait what about one?"

"It'll take longer for me to get up..."

"You have to come NOW Hawkeye!"

"Radar, I'm not in the mood!"

"Aw come on!"

"What don't you understand about NO"

"Hawkeye, this isn't funny, they need you for a patient."

"Tell the patient to stop bleeding."

"Hawkeye, she's bleeding a lot."

"Well good for... wait..."

"Her pulse is low..."

"Did you say... she?"

"Colonel Blake and Trapper are working on her but..."

"She as in..."

"Sara she, yes sir that 'she'"

Hawkeye sat up on his cot and turned to look at Radar, "You're pulling my leg Radar, and I'm going to hurt you because of it."

"No Hawkeye, I'm not. They found her."

Hawkeye was sitting up and pulling on his socks before Radar finished the sentence, "Where did they find her?" He asked as her pulled on his left boot.

"At a North Korean camp close to the front..."

"What happened?" He pulled on the right boot and began lacing it up.

"American's Hawk, they moved forward and stormed the camp. The south Korean's were ready though, The used her as a hostage, she got shot up pretty bad. A whole bunch of American's got shot too, they managed to get her out though..."

"How much blood has she lost?"

"It's hard to say, enough though, Hawkeye you'd better hurry."

He was, Hawkeye was already out the door too the Swamp and running to the pre op. When he entered the building he scrubbed up faster than he ever had before, he quickly put on his white surgeons robes and gloves and went to the table Henry, Trapper and Margaret were working at.

"How is she?" Hawkeye asked as he looked down at Sara's pale face.

"Bad Hawk." Trapper said, "She's lost a lot of blood, we're running low on ab positive..."

Henry looked up sadly, "It doesn't look good Pierce, but we're doing our best..."

Hawkeye felt like screaming -Your best isn't good enough!- But he resisted and began helping Trapper pull shrapnel out of Sara's body.

Every so often Hawkeye would look down at Sara's face and his heart would drop a little further, she was very pale, long cuts ran along her arms and legs, large bruises covered her wrists and arms. They had beaten her badly.

"Hawk?" Trapper's voice brought Hawkeye back to reality, "We're almost done, Why don't you go back to the Swamp and rest?"

Hawkeye looked down at Sara and shook his head, "No, I'm not leaving her side."

He said it in such a way that everyone new there was no arguing with the new father.

-Hold on Sara- Hawkeye thought sadly, -Please hold on-


	34. Holding on

~K, I''ll k make this short. My computer won't let me log in to anything so I''m writing this via a school computer, please don't kill me L

Hawkeye held Sara's increasingly colder hand, his prayers and all the prayers of everyone in the 4077th were lost on deaf ears.

"Please don''t leave me……" He whispered, "Please you pulled through once before, don't leave."

"Sir?"

Hawkeye turned to look at the cot across from Sara's, a red head soldier lay there.

"Yes, Lieutenant Johnson wasn't it?"

"Yes sir, How's the little girl doing sir?"

Hawkeye looked down once more at Sara's pale face, "She's……. holding on, just."

The Lieutenant sighed, "She's a brave little girl sir, I was in the company that stormed the camp she was held at."

"What happened?" Hawkeye asked, straightening slightly.

"Well the front moved forward a bit and we stormed their camp, we went to their first aid tent to find the girl taking care of some wounded North Korean children, the enemy. Well we were about to get her out when some North Korean's stormed the tent and took her as a hostage, we tried to get her back but they shot her, several time……"

Hawkeye bit his lower lip, just like Sara to be thinking about others enemy or otherwise.

"Hawk?"

Hawkeye looked up to see Trapper standing in front of him, "What?"

"There's nothing we can do now, come on, you need to get some rest or else you won't be any help to her."

"Trapper……"

"Come on, I''ll buy the new father a drink."

Hawkeye didn't want to leave; he couldn't leave. Sara needed him, he was her father, the adopted part of it didn't matter. But he knew Trapper was right, he'd be no help to her if he was asleep.

They walked slowly from the post op, 12 hours working on her, enough shrapnel to make a full set of eating utensils for the mess tent. 

Four drinks later Hawkeye was back in the post op, sitting beside Sara and holding her cold hand.

"Please don''t leave, this war won''t be bearable without you……"" Then it hit him, Daniel Pierce, he didn't know about Sara yet. That was all right, if she didn't make it Daniel Pierce wouldn't have to know that he had a grand daughter.

"Please hold on……."


	35. Waiting forever

~Im feeling extra evil because I fixed my computer, back to posting regularly, I'm considering on writing a sequel to this, I'll let you all know. Now, back to the regularly scheduled program.

  
  


For over two weeks Sara lay in a form of a coma, barely clinging on to life. Even Trapper couldn't help Hawkeye out of the seclusion he had forced himself into, Only Sara could. 

"Pierce." Hawkeye looked up to see Henry standing in front of him, "Go get some sleep, Don't worry, we'll let you know if anything changes."

"But..."

"That's an order Pierce," Henry said sternly, "We're giving her 24 hour coverage, she'll be fine..."

"Henry..."

"Go, Pierce....now."

Hawkeye sighed and stood up, He had been sitting beside Sara for two hours but it seemed like an eternity. He slowly walked from the post op towards the Swamp, but after a moment he changed direction and headed towards the Officers Club for a drink.

"One Martini Mr Kwang," Hawkeye said glumly as he sat down on a bar stool, "As dry as you can possibly make it."

Mr Kwang nodded and made the Martini, Hawkeye downed it in one gulp. He had three more Martini's that way but nothing helped, there was an empty ache in the pit of his stomach, there wasn't a lack of food or what the army could call food. In fact it was a feeling that Hawkeye had never felt before, a mix of despair, fear, depression and loneliness. For the first time in his life he felt like he had a purpose, a meaning in the world, he was in charge of an innocent life, he was a father.

He didn't want to loose all that.

"Hawk?" He looked up to see Trapper.

"What is it Trapper?"

"Just came to see how you're doing..."

"Fine." Hawkeye snapped, "I'm doing fine."

"No you're not," Trapper replied.

"Oh really?" Hawkeye raised an eye brow, "What makes you say that?"

"Because no one in the camp is fine," Trapper replied as he sat down on a stool next to Hawkeye, "We're all going insane with nerves, We all want Sara to pull through, but you're her father, if I were you I'd be going crazy."

"What makes you think I'm not?" Hawkeye asked.

"Because if you were crazy you wouldn't have downed four martini's in a half hour." trapper said, "Even you can't handle that. Three more and you won't actually be sober... you'll be... well not sober and not drunk."

"Sane."

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Trapper I feel like this is all my fault, I should have never left, then maybe this wouldn't have happened..."

"Don't start blaming yourself, Hawk." Trapper said sternly, "You couldn't have stopped it, none of us could have. At least she did some good while they had her..."

"Yeah but look how they repaid her!" Hawkeye snapped, "Filling a body with bullets isn't my thought of the perfect 'thanks'"

Trapper sighed and opened his mouth to reply but before he had the chance Radar burst through the door or the officer's club.

"You sirs better come quick!" Radar said, gasping for air, "It's Sara..."


	36. Goodbye

~ I'm in a slightly pissy mood because of 'a person's comments, I'll make a sequel if I damn well want too. Let me know if you guys want to see one, I have the ideas for it, probably won't be as long never the less...

  
  


Hawkeye ran to the post op ward, hardly breathing. Trapper gave Radar one quick look, the young man only sighed and shook his head.

"Oh no..." Trapper said quietly, "No..." He got up and ran after Hawkeye.

When at last Hawkeye reached the post op ward, Margaret blocked his view of the cot where Sara had been sleeping.

"Pierce..." She said quietly.

"Move Hot Lips..."

"I don't think..."

"Please Margaret..." 

He said it in such a way that Margaret could only sigh and move off towards the side, Hawkeye moved down the aisle of beds until he reached the one.

She was gone.

"We did all we could Pierce..." Henry said quietly from behind Hawkeye, "I'm so sorry."

Hawkeye said nothing, he fell down on the cot opposite of Sara's and put his head into his hands.

"Can I get you anything?" Henry asked quietly.

Hawkeye shook his head, "Just go..."

Henry sighed deeply and walked away, but as he was leaving the post op ward he passed Trapper who was just walking in.

"Henry?"

"She didn't make it." Henry said quietly, "Trapper, try to talk to him..."

"I will," Trapper said quietly, He turned to look at Hawkeye and sighed.

"You okay Hawk?"

"Go away Trapper."

"I'm sorry Hawkeye, we'll all miss her a lot..."

"Please go away Trapper..."

Trapper John sighed and carefully layed a pair of dog tags on the cot in front of Hawkeye, "She'll be alright now Hawk, She's gone to a better place now..."

"Trapper she didn't need to die like this, in cold wet Korea far away from her friends, she didn't need to die in pain..."

"But we were here Hawk, we were her friends, she had us beside her."

"If we'd forced her to go home in the first place this wouldn't have happened..." Hawkeye replied quietly.

"Hawkeye, if we had let her go home then she wouldn't have lasted this long, even Margaret says it. She would have been beaten or starved or both, By letting her stay here we gave her a second chance!"

"But she..."

"If you say she died far away from her family you'll be wrong. You were her family Hawk, You adopted her, gave her a second chance. You gave her a family Hawk, she died in the perfect place for someone in her situation."

Hawkeye didn't care.

He felt strange.

He felt lost.


	37. Waking up

~I can see the headlines now, Fan fic writer dies as angry mob brutally tears her apart in reviews, haha... I cant wait for the reviews on this ;)

  
  


He woke up. 

The talk with Trapper, Sara dying, it had all been one terrible dream that refused to end. He sighed and realized he was laying on a cot, staring at the post op ward ceiling. How long had he been like that?

Long enough.

Early morning light shone through the window giving the room a eerie glow. Hawkeye sighed, sat up and looked over to Sara's cot.

She was gone.

Hawkeye jumped to his feet and made one short step over to her cot where he fell down onto his knees. It hadn't been a dream... It had all be real...

"Hawkeye?"

It was Trapper's voice.

But Hawkeye didn't turn around, he didn't want to hear or acknowledge Trapper.

"Pierce?"

Henry, but Hawkeye didn't care, he didn't care about anything anymore.

Nothing mattered, not now, this war, this damned war was to blame, the death, the despair. Why had none of the other casualties mattered? Why did she have to come the 4077th and make her way in to Hawkeye's heart? Why did she have to come and hurt him like this?

"Hawkeye?"

That voice...

"Hey..."

Like an angel's...

"Hawk?"

He turned around slowly, like he didn't believe what he was hearing. There at the opposite end on the post op ward, wearing the same ratty jeans and tank top she had worn when she came to the 4077th, was Sara. 

Trapper stood behind her, he smiled at Hawkeye.

"Hey..." The young girl smiled weakly.

"Hey..." Hawkeye slowly walked up to the girl and looked at her, he couldn't believe it, after all she had gone through, she was alive.

Hawkeye leaned over and swept Sara up in a hug, not wanting to let her go, ever.

"You're alive... I can't believe it..." Hawkeye sobbed as he held her closer, "I just can't believe it..."

Sara laughed and looked up at him, "You don't regret it do you?"

"Regret what?"

"Adopting me?"

Hawkeye laughed, "Not for a minute, Never..." He looked at her sternly, "Never leave me like that again..."

"I won't," Sara promised, "I'm sorry..."

  
  



	38. Returning

When at last they both finished crying Hawkeye sat down at the end of a cot.

"How long was I asleep for?"

"Almost two days," Trapper replied.

"I woke up last night," Sara explained, "We decided to let you sleep..."

Hawkeye grinned, part of him was thankful that they let him sleep, even if he did have nightmares to go with it.

That night when Sara was allowed to return to her cot in the Swamp, everything seemed like she had never left. Henry secretly told everyone to not throw her a coming-home-party because she was still weak and any excitement could cause her to easily relapse, Henry was even against letting her go back to the Swamp but Hawkeye convinced him that there would be no partying while Sara was still recovering.

After a long dinner Sara and Hawkeye headed back to the Swamp, neither of them said much, it was an odd situation. It was over half an hour before Hawkeye and Sara stopped crying, they were both so happy, words couldn't describe how they felt.

Sara entered the Swamp and sighed happily, she walked to her bunk and flopped down on her cot.

"Glad to be back?" Hawkeye asked.

Sara grinned, "Haven't been this glad in a long time." She replied, "It may be cold and damp but it's the closest thing I've got to home." She sighed and looked around, There was so much she had to still tell him, but not now... Now wasn't the time, "I see you haven't bothered to clean up while I was gone." Sara said smirking slightly.

"I'm not allowed to clean up, my doctor won't let me."

"You are a doctor..."

"And I won't let me clean up."

Sara rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh, it was good to be home.

  
  


Trapper came back to the Swamp an hour later, Hawkeye was asleep on his cot, Sara was up reading a book under the pale light.

"Hey, you need to get some sleep." Trapper said to her as he lay down on his cot, "Your wounds as still fresh."

"I know, but it's kind of hard to sleep," Sara replied, "Last time I tried to I was kidnapped."

Trapper didn't know if he should laugh or cry, she said it like it was nothing.

"You sure you want to stay here?" Trapper asked, "You can always go back to Crabapple Cove now..."

"No thanks, I'd rather stay here."

"Your insane."

"So I've been told."

Trapper could only sigh, she had taken after Hawkeye, stubborn.

"It's great to have you back Sara."

"Thanks Trapper."


	39. The Truth of Hearts

~I am SO sorry its been such a long time. There's going to be a sequel, so I present to you.... Dun dun duuuuun, The End.

  
  


The weeks passed by slowly, Sara's wounds healed and Henry allowed her to go back working in surgery. Hawkeye sent a letter to his father explaining that he had adopted Sara, it was a freezing December day when the reply came.

"Mail!" Radar yelled as he entered the Swamp, "Got a letter for you Hawkeye." He tossed the letter on to Hawkeye who was laying on his cot, Sara and Trapper were busy playing poker.

"You can't win Trap," Sara said, "Nothing can beat this hand..."

"Bah, I still think your cheating..." The man muttered as he squinted at his cards.

Hawkeye grinned and ripped open the letter:

-Dear Hawkeye

You adopted Sara? You're actually going to take care of her, raise her? Good lord what has the war done to you? I'm just kidding, I'm glad to hear that I have a grand daughter, adopted or otherwise. I was beginning to worry that I'd never have someone to spoil...-

  
  


Hawkeye rolled his eyes, just like his father, he went back to the letter.

If something should happen and she has to come back to the US, don't worry. She can come stay with me until you get home, but from what I've heard it will be hard to make her leave the 4077th. Give my regards to Trapper John and, Sara, Frank Burns, Colonel Blake and Radar. I';m sure I'll be hearing from you soon...

  
  


Hawkeye smiled and put the letter down just as Sara produced a winning hand, Trapper moaned and looked around the Swamp for something he could gamble with.

"Forget it," Hawkeye said, "You can't win it back Trap, you should know that by now."

  
  


'Attention all personnel! Incoming wounded in the compound and the upper pad, Will both shifts please go to the or immediately, It's going to be a long haul people.'

Sara and Hawkeye groaned in unison while Trapper quickly switched the cards around.

"Didn't we just get off a shift?" Hawkeye asked as he jabbed one foot into a army boot.

"Yup," Trapper replied and he looked around for his coat, "Oh well..."

The short walk to the Pre Op room was met with laughs, smiles and jokes. Sara paused at Hawkeye and Trapper entered the Pre op.

"Hey Kiddo," Hawkeye called, "You coming?"

Sara grinned broadly, "Yeah, I'll be there in a sec." She stood in the open as the cool Korean night air brushed lightly past her. The first star of the night peaked out from behind a cloud and twinkled brightly. The moon hung in the sky like a silver orb in a sea of sparkles. Sara breathed in the fresh air and sighed, it was good to be home... even if it was a dump.

-Truth being...- she thought to herself, -I know in my heart, this place will created the best and worse memories of my entire life.-

There came a cry of laughter from the pre op ward.

-And boy am I glad my heart is always telling the truth.-

Her heart told her one thing, but her soul said another.

The End?


End file.
